The day had been long but in a gentle way. There were no headlines waiting at the door, no letters that carried the weight of battles yet to be fought. Instead, the hours moved slowly, as if they were waiting for something warmer to unfold in the evening. Julian and I had tidied the apartment earlier, not out of necessity but out of the small joy that comes from preparing for the people you love. By the time the sun had softened into gold and shadows stretched across the living room, the table ...