The pair, one blond and blue-eyed, the other raven-haired with charcoal eyes, made a striking couple as they walked lockstep into Grand Central Terminal together. First, they had surveyed the streets around the entrance, showing the poster to every homeless person they found, like two TV detectives looking for a lead on a missing person’s case.

“Excuse me, sir, do you know a Johnson? He’s a man who lost his dog,” Anna asked. Her questions were almost always met with blank stares, but Vronsky followed this up by holding out cash, which really opened the dialogue. From what they could gather, Johnson was a regular in the neighborhood, usually sleeping on the benches inside the station. No one had seen him in the past day or two.

A determined Anna took the news in stride and headed inside the station with the intention of exploring every train platform until they found him. Together they crossed through the grand hall. Anna had decided they should start with the track where Johnson’s other dog had died. If she were bereft and desperate, that’s where she would be.

“Track twenty-seven,” Vronsky volunteered, not caring that he was showing his sentimentality by remembering their first meeting place.

Before they went down the escalator leading to the track, Anna stepped to the right and turned to face Vronsky. “Thank you for coming with me,” Anna said.

“Are you kidding me? There’s no one else I’d rather be spending my day—”

“Stop. You didn’t let me finish.”

“I’m sorry. Go on,” he added quickly, again in awe of the dazzling beauty before him.

“I also want to thank you for the…” She paused, looking for the right words. “… very thoughtful gifts you sent me earlier today. I appreciated all of them, but I can’t keep them. My bag is still at the Garden, so I can return them to you when we get back later.”

Vronsky frowned, unprepared for this. He was careful to keep his voice casual and calm. “But I don’t want them back. They’re for you, Anna. Each one was for only you.”

“Alexia, I know you know this, but right now I think we both need to be reminded: I have a boyfriend. It’s not right for me to accept gifts from another guy.” She took a breath and forced herself to just say it. “Especially today of all days. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, don’t apologize, Anna,” Vronsky responded, reaching out to touch her arm but then stopping himself. “It’s me who should be apologizing. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just had to let you know how I feel. You’re all I’ve been thinking about since we first met. And I promise I’ve never felt like—”