Annie winced.
“I’ll call you later.”
She ended the call.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I pointed toward the disconnected telephone.
“You lied in front of a decorative landline.”
“I did.”
“That feels serious.”
“She’ll recover.”
“You’re staying longer?”
“One day.”
“Because of the cheese?”
“The cheese made a compelling case.”
I smiled.
Annie crossed the room and slipped her arms around my waist.
“Also, I haven’t tried the coconut pie.”
“That would be irresponsible.”
“Exactly.”
She kissed me.
I tried not to let one extra day feel like a gift.
It did anyway.
We made breakfast out of whatever had survived the night.
Cold chicken.
Bread.
A bowl of strawberries Annie had forgotten she owned.
Coffee from a machine so complicated she read the instructions twice before pressing the only button.
While we ate, I checked the time.
“I have to go to the shop.”
Annie looked at me over her cup.
“Work?”
