Once she’d reached her floor, she headed down the hallway, casting a glance at Ed’s door as she passed. Her neighbour had been quiet of late and she wondered what he was up to. But her idle concern turned to curiosity the moment she entered the apartment and on the floor lay another note.

Think of the devil …

Hey P-2,

Pretty quiet over there for the past while. You doing OK?

Hannah had to smile. Apparently, Ed had been wondering about her silence just as much as she had been about his. And she snorted at the irony of him pointing out the absence of noise.

I suppose I shouldn’t be complaining about that, right? After all, I’ve been doing nothing but telling you to keep it down since the moment you moved in.

‘Well, at least he admits it,’ she commented, eyebrows raised at this unexpected bout of honesty and self-awareness.

Based on the lack of racket, I’m guessing that you are now fully settled in. Or, you’ve been busy doing your social media crap or whatever. Yes, yes, I know what that is. I’m not a total caveman – even though I act like it sometimes, I get it.

I also get that I sound like a grouch most days – and have given you a hard time, which I’m realizing now might be undeserved. And so I am trying to be a bit more accommodating and open-minded. I’ve been dealing with some health stuff lately, and pain tends to put a man in a bad mood. And yeah, I’ve been told not to take it out on the people around me but most of the time I forget that advice. But I am trying.

At those words, Hannah’s heart truly went out to the guy. Her thoughts drifted to her granddad once again, reminding her that it was a lot for an older person to contend with when the body started to break down and work against them.

Her grandmother had died five years before her husband, and until Granddad passed away, he had been entirely housebound and had a very hard time walking. With the result that he had been extra-cranky and bored out of his mind too. He’d also needed a home-help nurse on occasion, but at least he’d had his family. All the family and extended relatives too had made sure to visit as often as possible to keep a close eye on him and make sure he knew he was loved.

She didn’t think Ed had that and it surely wouldn’t be fun to be alone most of the time. Especially in such a big and bustling city like this. She’d already experienced a taste of that herself in the short time she’d been here.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not looking for sympathy here.