We ran across the bridge, then back again, then into the park with the river on our right. At this point, I was sweating profusely, and since I’d made the mistake of wearing cotton, my shirt was wet, cold, and clinging to my skin.

“So I need an update on you and Ian,” Amelia said brightly.

“We’ve grown really close in such a short period of time,” I said. “He has amazing stories from his childhood.” Ian hadn’t told me any amazing stories from his childhood. But it couldn’t hurt for Amelia to believe that Ian and I were serious. “I might be in love.” I whispered the last words, as if I were embarrassed to admit it.

Amelia gasped with delight. She was clearly invested in my relationship with Ian. “If you two get engaged, I’m throwing you a brilliant party!”

I tried to laugh, but didn’t have enough breath, so I had to make do with a smile.

“He’s working on this apartment in Rome and our client adores him. Thanks to Ian, we have five new projects, all from the same client.”

“Wow.”

We ran along the water, past Pier 2, which offered endless choices of recreational activities: roller-skating, handball, bocce, basketball, kayaking. I’ve never been able to appreciate concepts like “recreation” and “fun.” I don’t viscerally understand what those words mean.

The wind was picking up, and my throat and lungs were burning in the cold air. Along with intermittent pain behind my knees, my shins were aching. Unfortunately, in talking to Amelia, I’d implied that I was a regular runner, so I needed to keep pace with her or risk appearing disingenuous.

We approached the Pier 4 Beach and the enormous residential complex up ahead.

“Do you have plans for the afternoon?” Amelia asked.

“Errands, laundry.”

Amelia put her hand on my shoulder while we were running. “Come back to the house with me. I bought a really good chicken soup at the market this morning.” She had an eager expression on her face.

The invitation to join Amelia at her house gave me a powerful surge of energy and strength. In a matter of seconds, the pain in my shins and knees disappeared. My legs felt strong, and I could move forward with freedom. Even my breathing turned effortless.

Back at the Straub house, Amelia showered and changed. She offered me a change of clothes, but I told her I was fine, even though all my things were damp and I would have loved a hot shower. I sensed that she didn’t really want to lend me anything—that she would have considered it an imposition.

Amelia made coffee and served Natalie and me chicken soup. The three of us sat at the kitchen counter, and Itzhak lay near Natalie’s feet. Fritz was in Boston for the weekend, celebrating his brother’s fiftieth birthday.