He nods but continues to look at me carefully, reaching out to take my hand that’s resting on the table, and interlinks our fingers. He doesn’t say anything, as if waiting for me to continue, so I take a big gulp of wine.
“I don’t want to bring down the mood. We’re having such a nice time,” I whisper. “It was a slip.”
He stands, picks up his chair and beer, and places both down next to me so we are side by side.
“Tell me.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. My next words come out quiet and shaky.
“For a while there, I wasn’t eating. I couldn’t stomach it, or I didn’t have the energy to make meals, or well… I just didn’t care. Like, I didn’t think about it. Every day, Sia’s mom, Karen, would come around and get me to have a little something, but it wasn’t enough.
“She went to my
