“I would accept you not wanting another relationship if that was all it was,” Dagmar told her. “But it isn’t. You’re stuck, my love. What I don’t understand is how you can be that way with all you see around here.”

“What do you mean?”

Dagmar waved to take in the room. “We come here to die. Oh, it’s a lovely place with lots to do, but we are in the final years of our lives. Look at Betty. She has plans—a river cruise, Christmas in New York. Will she still get to do that? Who knows? How long until she’s gone? What about me?”

Unity’s eyes widened. “What about you? Are you sick?”

“Not that I know of. But at my age, we’re all one bad diagnosis away from a terrible turn in our lives. Yes, it can happen to anyone, but for those of us living here, it feels more inevitable.”

She squeezed Unity’s hand. “Darling, you’re so young and vibrant. I hate to see you hiding from your own life. I wish you’d make friends your own age and go do exciting things. I wish you’d find a handsome man and use him for sex. I’m not saying you have to find another one true love, but you do have a responsibility to be alive, and right now, you’re not.”

Unity knew the words were said with love, but they still hurt. She thought of Dagmar as a second mother and the scolding, however gently delivered, made her feel uncomfortable and embarrassed.

“Are you cutting me off?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Never. And if you stop coming to see, I’ll hunt you down and drag you back here.” Dagmar smiled gently. “Just think about it. Life is wonderful. I want you to remember there’s so much out there you can experience. If not with men, then at least new horizons, new experiences. Although some of the old ones are quite wonderful.” Her smile turned sly. “The feel of a man’s tongue on your—”

Unity jumped to her feet. “Oh, my God! Don’t say whatever you were going to say.”

“I can’t believe your Stuart never did that to you.”

Heat flared on her cheeks and it was all Unity could do not the cover her ears and hum. “Of course he did, but I’m not discussing sex with you.”

“Yes, you made that clear the time I started to tell you about my threesome. It wasn’t the smartest decision I’ve ever made but it was a night.”

“I’m leaving,” Unity said, hurrying toward the door. “You’re impossible.”

“I’m alive. It’s something you should consider.”

Unity shoved her feet into her boots. “I’m alive, too. Just in a different way.”

Dagmar followed her to the door. Her expression was serious. “Before you know it, you’re going to be my age. It’s true what they say—regrets are the very worst.”

Unity hesitated, then nodded, as if she believed what she was being told. She hugged her friend, let herself out and hurried to her van.