“Oh. I’m sorry.”

Was he surprised that she hadn’t known? Hadn’t heard? Possible? Unlikely? He filed it mentally under Unknowable. “Thanks” was all he said.

“So what have you been up to?” She was trying to keep it light; her conversation was bordering on inane. She was frightened.

He wanted to say something stinging, something hurtful. But she’d see through it. He didn’t want to hurt her. He just wanted her to know that he was in pain.

“Are you seeing anyone?” she asked.

He realized that she had something to tell him and that she wasn’t quite ready to spill it. She was seeing someone, he surmised. He let her take her time. He was in no hurry to hear about it.

“You don’t want to hear stories of my naked wrestling bouts with all the hordes of sexy women who can’t resist unemployed lawyers living in Maspeth, Queens,” he said.

“Ooh. Maybe I do.”

It was a joke. A small one. Neither of them laughed, but it was a start. A moment of letting the curtain part. Maybe there were emotions they could still share.

“It would have been good to hear your voice every now and then.”

There was a very long pause before she whispered, “Yes.”

He had hoped for more, but that single word was enough. “I’ll let you go. Call sometime, if you get the urge. I’d love to hear from you. See how you’re doing.”

She didn’t reply.

Words are so easily misunderstood, but silences can speak so clearly.

“Bye, Jill.” His thumb hovered over the red button. He didn’t want to hang up, and he didn’t want to hear any more.

“Wait!”

He took a deep breath. “I’m here.” Whatever was coming was better than nothing at all.

“I’m sorry.” The words were spoken so softly he might have imagined them. “I’m sorry,” she said again, louder yet choked.

“Me too. You deserved something better. I hope you find it.”

“Not about us. I’m sorry I didn’t call. I’m a coward. But I’m getting better.”

“Oh. Yes.” He had expected a hurtful revelation and had been presented with something that touched a much deeper pain.

“What will you do now?” she asked.

The question was too massive to tackle. There wasn’t a law firm in the tristate that would touch him. There’d been a need for real estate lawyers when the market was ballooning, but since the crash they were all cashing in their IRAs and living on a diet of hope and futility. “I’ll find something.”

“You’re a good man.”

He didn’t know what she meant by that, but it felt good to hear her say it.

“Have you been to any games lately?” she asked.