I think Hal and I stopped really being married a long time ago and just never told each other.” I braced for her to be shocked, or to reassure me, or to tell me every marriage goes through this.

She didn’t.

She looked at me over her coffee with those steady widowed eyes and she said something I have not stopped thinking about since.

“You know what I’d give,” she said quietly, “to be lonely in my marriage instead of lonely without one?

To have Ray across the table not talking to me?

I’d give anything, Ginny.

Anything.” She reached over and took my hand.

“You still have yours.