The door swung open and her knapsack entered first, landing on the floor between the beds, and she walked in next, throwing off her coat and kicking off her boots and taking in the familiar surroundings, which were exactly as she’d left them – spotless, organized and smelling faintly of ammonia – except with far fewer cans of wax beans and asparagus spears and she did a quick calculation in her head and announced, I see you skipped two meals, and he was standing in the washroom and the door was open and his hands were hanging at his sides and his skin was pale and, if possible, his frame was thinner and she said, I need to get you some chicken or red meat, and she had the impression he hadn’t moved in a long time and after he sighed or breathed out deeply, she said, I’m going to ask you a
