Nina hesitated before reaching for the phone. Something stilled her hand, but she couldn’t put a finger on what it was. What made her pick up the phone in the end was curiosity—Why was Jake calling her?

“Hi Jake, how are you?”

“Better, now that I’m talking with you.”

Nina laughed nervously and waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she said, “Jake, are you OK?” At first she heard nothing from his end, then a sudden sharp intake of breath. He let it out in a long sigh.

“I’m not doing too well, Nina. Everyone keeps telling me it will get better, but it doesn’t. It hasn’t. I’m going crazy.”

“It will get better, Jake. Look, you need to pull yourself together. Charlotte wouldn’t want you to be this way. She’d want you to be happy.” Nina chewed on a honey-colored strand of hair as she waited for his response.

“Yeah, you’re right. My brain knows you’re right, but my heart just doesn’t want to listen. I just miss her so much… Listen, do you want to meet? I need to be with someone right now.”