Summary

Once or twice a month, Clodagh took the train to Albany to meet with a client. “The three-hour journey” along the Hudson was pleasant (40). One night, while waiting for the train back to the city, Clodagh saw a passenger she recognized. Studying the woman’s behavior, she realized it was Paola.

Clodagh tried to keep Paola from seeing her. She felt embarrassed for becoming “a middle-aged, slightly overweight American woman in business attire” (40). Throughout the ride, however, her feelings changed. She had a sudden “almost romantic desire to talk to Paola” (40). Her longing “to reconnect” with her former self felt surprising (40).

Clodagh Googled Paola, learning about her vocational and authorial accomplishments. Afterwards, she found Paola in “the café car” and sat next to her (41). When she introduced herself, Paola took a moment to remember her. Paola said nothing about her own life, but...