Who’d want to be around a moper? Talking incessantly about someone who wasn’t even there. I ended up working hours overtime, just to keep myself busy, but fortunately that’s when Tamsin joined us…” She glanced at me, as though to gauge how I’d react to the mention of her name. London can be the world’s loneliest city. Eva sat back down; her face pale with tiredness. This time, I reached out, and placed my hand on her shoulder, lightly. She turned to me, “Nem, I don’t know if–” “There’s no need to explain…” Her eyes held everything. After she left, I sat at the table, in the sudden strange emptiness of the room. All that remained was the faintest trace of her perfume. It was late, but sleep was more distant than dawn. I poured the rest of the wine into my glass, filling it uncouthly to the brim. Leaning back in my chair, I allowed the silence to quiet me. She’d used the word close. Close. Suspended between us like a snowflake, vapourising without further explanation.
