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‘You would not understand,’ he said.

‘So,’ Carl said. ‘All that happened – which I don’t even know how to start thinking about, but that’s for another day – but why this? Why are Mary and I here? Why now?’

‘Well,’ Ryan said. ‘That’s the thing. I had accepted it, which was why, like I said, I’d settled for that thing.’ He pointed at Mary. ‘I don’t think I would have been able to take much more of her, but for the time being things were OK. And then it all changed.’

‘What changed?’ Carl said.

‘I found Allison.’

Two Months Earlier

‘I – I can’t believe it,’ she says. Her voice is quiet, her tone uncertain. It’s clear she is very moved to see you. ‘It’s you.’

Your smile is a shy, bashful one; you are aware of that and exaggerate it, emphasizing the depth of your emotion and your vulnerability.

You are strong, of course, and you want her to know that – she already knows that – but you want her to see that her mere presence is enough to bring out your gentler, more sensitive side.

‘Hi,’ you say. Then you gesture to the puppy. You hate dogs, especially that fucking useless hound Wally that your flabby, second-rate excuse for a wife acquired during the pandemic, despite your advice to the contrary, advice which, as usual, the useless bitch ignored. You don’t want her to know how you feel about dogs, however. She clearly likes this animal, so you will pretend to as well.

‘What a beautiful little dog,’ you say.

‘Puppy,’ she says.

‘Yes,’ you reply. ‘Puppy. That’s what I meant. I love puppies.’

She gives you a strange look.

‘How – how did’ – she pauses – ‘what are you doing here?’

‘Just a coincidence,’ you say. ‘I was in Boston for work and I wanted a walk in the park. And there you were!’

‘Really!’ She sounds suddenly happy. ‘Well it’s nice to see you!’

‘Not really,’ you say. ‘That was a joke. Think about it: it would be a huge coincidence. No – I found you. It was not easy.’

‘Oh.’ Her smile vanishes, replaced by a more serious look. ‘Well, it’s nice to see you.’

She stands up.

‘I have to get back to work.’

‘On a Saturday?’

‘Yes.’

You give her a confused smile. ‘Your office isn’t open on Saturdays.’

‘Oh,’ she says. ‘Of course. My mistake. I’m meeting a friend.’

You begin to feel slightly annoyed. ‘Which friend?’

‘Just a friend.’ She makes a What can I do? gesture. ‘Gotta go.’

You shake your head. There’s no way after all this time that your conversation will be limited to this. You have things you want to say to her.

‘Stay seated,’ you say.

She obeys. That is a good sign. You think it means she wants to be with you. You would not obey someone you did not want to be with.