She smiled slightly. “You know, this is my favorite part of the day. A moment of quiet before the evening sets in.”

We stood there, studying each other for a few minutes. I didn’t feel like I had friends in the city at that point, none that I knew real well. I didn’t even know if I was to stay long enough to need friends. Still, for some reason I felt the need to become familiar with her casual movements.



I wasn’t sure how to respond to her remark, or if I even needed to. Finally, she asked, “Will you be staying in the city long?”

I couldn’t help but feel sorrowed by the question that had been long on my mind. I didn’t know if I would survive the night.

“I’m not sure,” I said in a quiet voice. “Probably not.”

I glanced off down the street.

“I need to go,” I said. “Good night, Lilja.”

“Good night,” she responded.