THE EMAIL I SENT BEFORE DESSERT

between us before I could respond.

I carried that sentence into work like a stone in my pocket.

All morning I turned it over. Checked the weight of it. Tried to set it down. Couldn’t.

By noon I had stopped pretending to focus on anything else.

That night I brought it up to Robert over leftover pasta.

He didn’t even pause his chewing.

“She watches everyone continue reading …