He warned me not to let charitable work become another form of avoidance.

“You can hide inside good deeds,” he said.

“It looks better than hiding inside work, but the loneliness can be the same.”

I knew he was right.

For a while, every invitation to dinner had seemed frivolous when compared with the work people needed done.

Every pleasant evening made me wonder whether Chloe would think I was moving on too quickly.

My mentor asked about friendships.