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As Esther pushed Gina’s doorbell, a kettle whistled inside. Gina ushered Esther into her studio apartment without asking a single question. The handmade patchwork cushions and Gina’s artwork matched the sunflower-yellow feature wall. The homeliness embraced her. Esther curled her feet up under her in one of the two armchairs squeezed into the tiny living room and took the peppermint tea Gina offered.
Gina sat in the other armchair. “Do you want to eat first or talk first?”
“Better talk first, or it will be too awkward—oh bother—” Esther’s tears spilled over. “I was hoping to get through this without crying.”
Gina reached behind and took a box of tissues off the counter. “Rabbit hutch-sized homes have their benefits.”
Esther dabbed her eyes and blew her nose. Her news stuck in her t
