THE EMAIL I SENT BEFORE DESSERT

to me. Which meant it meant everything.

Behind me the chair scraped. I heard Sophie say his name once, low and fast, the way you say something to a child who’s about to step off a curb.

I turned around.

Robert was on his feet. The phone was face-down on the lemon tart now, sitting in the cooling middle of it, and he hadn’t even noticed. His face had gone continue reading …