There was a moment of silence at the other end, and I wondered whether she’d hung up on me and I hadn’t noticed. Then I heard her draw in a deep breath. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what was on the other side of that breath, what it meant.
‘We can’t have this conversation, Lib, not if we want to remain friends …’
‘What?’
‘I mean it. We can’t discuss this. Every friendship is like a house, Lib, and there are certain rooms in every house you keep locked, because what lies behind the door can destroy the whole house. Better to stick to the safe rooms we’ve built.’
‘Wait, what do you mean? That this topic is off limits? That’s crazy, Jan …’
‘Goodbye, Libby. I’ll see you tomorrow after three.’
‘Jan, wait …’
I was speaking to a dial tone.
I stood there for a moment, staring blankly at
