The week had been full of noise, the kind that did not come from hammers or sewing machines but from conversations, emails, and headlines that seemed to follow me into every quiet corner. By the time Sunday arrived, I wanted nothing more than a day without demands.

Julian suggested the river. It was late morning when we left the apartment, the air just warm enough to walk without a coat. The city was slower on Sundays, as if even the traffic had decided to take a softer route. We stopped at a ...