[1]In the last month, two friends in my inner circle have fallen in love. They’re gushing about it, and why shouldn’t they? This isn’t everyday news. What could be better than the first taste of a person who, at last, feels like a good fit? I listen to their love talk cheerfully, because this is what you do as a friend. You feel pleasure when someone close to you is in ecstasy. But it pierces me, too. And I wonder, how did I get left outside the party door?
Painting: I Wish I May, 2008, by Clare Grill [2]