First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Who Keeps You Company?

Illustration by Lieke Van der Vorst

Party Time

For weeks, I’d been mulling over whether to go to a fundraiser at the other end of town. I’d already bought a ticket, but I felt good about the donation, and my attendance seemed secondary. Plus, it was on a Sunday, a perfect evening to be cozy at home. The day before the event, a married couple I know called to say they’d be happy to be my chauffeur (and I’d have someone to walk in with), and there went my final excuse. As it turned out, I had fun.

The New Yorker cover by Christoph Niemann