It seemed that every day was a little worse than the one before. Her mind had begun wandering, and she had thoughts of ridiculous things. What color curtains she’d like in her living room; the lasagna she’d attempted to make on Thursday that had turned out perfect; skiing. She’d never been skiing. Twenty-eight years old and never been skiing! That morning while she was practicing she’d looked down at the cast and fantasized that she’d broken her leg on the slopes. She’d spent an entire half hour on that daydream.

“What do you suppose is the matter with me, Elsie? I’ve turned into a lump.”

“I don’t know, but I gotta go to work. I’m pulling a double shift today because everybody’s sick with the flu. Then after work I got a date.”

“A date?”

“Yup. With a real hunk. And he’s no old coot either. Doesn’t look a day over sixty. Delivers sweet rolls to the café every morning.”

“That’s kind of romantic.” She watched Elsie walk away, and she searched for other activity on the street but found none. The squirrel had eaten all the seeds and left for better pickings. It was Saturday afternoon, but it was too cold for yard work. People came and went, but no one dallied outdoors long enough to be interesting. She clicked the TV off, and the silence of her empty house pressed in on her.

Maybe what she needed was a pet, she decided. A dog would be nice, except dogs had to be walked, and she wasn’t so hot at walking these days. And besides, she’d heard a rumor that dogs ate cellos. That left cats, birds, goldfish, hamsters, and guinea pigs. She rested her forehead on the cool windowpane. She was doing it again! She was thinking silliness. A pet! Lord, what would she do with a pet when her life resumed its normal rhythm?

Dave appeared on the sidewalk and waved to her. She felt the smile start in her heart and work its way through her body. She hated to admit how dependent she’d become on him. He helped her navigate stairs, and he chauffeured her around town. And he made her happy. It was the happy part that had her worried. She wasn’t supposed to get this excited about someone who was just a friend. Boredom, she told herself. Isolation. It was all taking its toll. It was blowing her feelings about Dave out of proportion.

He let himself in and joined her in the living room. “How’s it going?”

“I’m thinking of getting a cat.”

It was thirty seconds before he found his voice. “A cat?” His mouth creased into a broad grin. “What brought that on?”

Kate was embarrassed. “I don’t know, it sort of jumped out at me. Dumb, huh?”

“No. It’s a great idea.”