A week later they were at the deli downtown, sitting at a small table having lunch.

"I should have stuck with my usual. How's your sandwich?" Simone asked.

"I was just getting used to the pastrami made from cats and cardboard and I think they're making it from something else now. Even salt and hot mustard doesn't help."

"Maybe it's under new management," she said.

Haaji was tempted to just eat the bread and make-believe cheese but he did not want to waste the money, or the protein.

"Here, have some of my soup," she said and pushed the bowl to the middle of the table. He looked up to thank her, caught a strange color in her eyes that said, we'll never have children, we may not even have each other much longer.