We sat by the window.

She told me about her neighbor and a book club she had joined.

I told her about Lucia’s catering business and the community meal program.

For fifteen minutes we sounded like two ordinary women who had known each other for years.

Then she put down her cup.

“I always thought if you stopped doing things for us, you would stop loving us,” she said.

I thought about how carefully she had phrased it.