Todd does not show up. I resigned myself to this as soon as Elizabeth reminded me of the expectation. I spent the entire day fretting about it, realizing Orla was absolutely right about my need to put myself out somewhere socially. Who could I even talk to about my nerves for this evening? A date. I haven’t gone on a date with a new woman in 30 years.

Does Elizabeth count as a new woman? I decide that she does, even though I have nobody to confirm my suspicion. I ...