Apologize to Andrea

You grab your basket and hurry after her as fast as you can go. You catch up to her just by your apartment as she's starting to go up the steps to hers. You drop the basket with a thump, reach out and grab her arm as she's starting to put her foot on the first step.

"What do you want?" she cries angrily.

"Andrea, Andrea - I'm really sorry for that. I didn't mean to do that. You're my neighbor and that was inappropriate. I know that. It's just...it's just... I was embarrassed that you must have heard me crying, and I didn't know what to do with that. And then you were so nice to me...you're the first friend I've talked to in a week, and that felt so nice, and - and - and I miss her SO MUCH!" At this point you are manfully trying to not cry in front of this kind, beautiful woman you've already offended so badly. You're breathing quick and shallow, trying to think just about the mechanics of breathing rather than how hard it is without Doe in your life.

Ashamed, you're looking to the side, rather than directly at Andrea, so you can't see her try to stay mad at you, but then slowly soften in empathy. "I know," she says, "I know that it's SO hard."

"We were going to get married, you know?" you sniff. "I thought I'd be spending my whole life with her. Oh, Doe, Doe...Oh, God!!!"

Andrea takes her grocery bags upstairs; you hear her keys and then the door opens and closes. Of course she would leave, too, you're being so pathetic, crying in front of her like a baby. A woman like that wants a strong man, confident, self-reliant, not some weeping pansy... So filled with self-pity that you can't muster the energy to get up and go into your own apartment, you sit down on the bottom step as the sobs erupt from your body, shaking you until the tears come, streaming down your face to land on the bills.

You don't hear the door when she comes back, so you give a little start when Andrea's hand rests on your shoulder. She's sitting two steps above you, and her touch is comforting. She came back! She was only gone a couple of minutes, but still it's a relief that she came back. She stays there, in that position, her hand resting on your shoulder as you cry and cry. After a few minutes, you start to catch your breath and slowly you stop crying.

When it seems pretty sure that you are mostly recovered, she squeezes your shoulder. "Hey, John, it seems like you need a friend right now." She gets to her feet. "I'm available to listen, if you want to talk as a friend for a while." You reach up and take her hand tentatively. "But only if you're going to talk. I'm not here for you in any other way."