was more interested in the zipper on my coat than in my name. Alice asked whether I knew how to draw a bus. I drew one with crooked wheels, and she corrected it. Claire sat nearby. Nothing about that ordinary afternoon resembled the grand moment I had imagined, and I was grateful for that.
I began visiting at the times we had agreed. Once, a late delivery threatened to keep me at work. I called a colleague and asked him to take over. He managed perfectly well. I reached the meeting place ten minutes early and sat in my car, surprised by how many years I had spent believing that leaving work on time was impossible.
Months passed. Claire and I did not become a couple again. We became better at talking, which turned out to require more effort than making declarations. Some conversations were uncomfortable. Some plans had to
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