-
e paused
n the TV screen in the open-plan kitchen. The local evening news was
art st
e remote, but her
m Florence International
as
avy suit he wore that morning when he kissed her
his a
wo
er than Selina's, but the resemblance was unmistakable. They looked almost li
n't a busine
sn't a
was
ar
n he onc
an who
ised was no longer
e chicken was burning, and the anchor's voice was saying s
nit
r co
y hit the floor w
een sta
mile - the one Selina hadn't seen in over a year
oom t
a drama
books or movies
o sob, no glass shatte
as only
round her chest and squeezed unti
-
idn't
idn't
tove, sat on the stool ne
.. she di
opened fiftee
. Slow. P
ened. His tie was loosened, his cufflinks removed.
when he
in years, they st
ly s
wasn't
asn't s
ly," she said so
it hurt. Then
nvelope on the cou
a quie
ds didn
ady saw?"
odded
't both
rse he
-
ooked down at
CE PA
Crisp.
k, already written w
ech. No explanat
sil
ly. But whatever he was goi
lope aside with one
not rushed, not stiff
dn't
hy she wasn't begging. Why she hadn't a
he top of the st
d down like silk
proving I was neve
ne you set
-
idn't
elope still sealed in her lap, the lights o
n't come
stairs never
one gives away a business card -
fig
tea
she had always
had finally
t
-
d barefoot into the closet and stared at the clothes she
er silks, neutrals
d to match
intles
ase and laid it flat on the f
ho had done this before -
irs of t
co
ing their honeymoon in Prague - back
the tur
verything
-
ssed in a plain blac
nightstand - gleaming in the last morn
their Florence v
or me
e she'd taken h
in that house, her
who waited
s for anniversary dinner
Is it me?" when his si
ad been buri
attended
-
't leave
't slam
a, dragging her suitcase over cob
ort. Passp
hadn't
heartb
-
Geneva, Sw
t because i
ea
tta
knew he
have to exp
with nothing but he
t and stared through the glass like it
fered a polite smile.
ked if she wanted cha
e boarding pass in her la
-
m the Florence runway,
ing she hadn't
ememb
-
k: Two Y
d wedding a
ng baking chocolate s
s warm, quie
e home
like musk and exhaustion. Hi
o greet him
ay gently. "
"Is someth
loosening his cufflinks. "I'
't started
e one who
, she overheard
the
the
r. Lo
asked wh
part of her..
-
tly as it dipped tow
sat rigid in her seat, her n
her like a map dra
he ground ris
old h
stop surviving a