The number of arguments we survived because we had learned early that silence could destroy a relationship faster than conflict.
The number of times Daniel eventually called me when he needed help, proving that some friendships can bend without breaking.
And one number I never forgot.
11:47 p.m.
The time my phone rang on a rainy Thursday night.
Sometimes I thought about what would have happened if I hadn’t answered.
Maybe Karen would have called a taxi.
Maybe she would have gone straight home.
Maybe I would have remained Daniel’s friend who occasionally saw his mother at holidays.
Maybe Karen would still have opened Second Chapter.
Maybe she would have met someone else.
There are a thousand lives hiding behind every small decision.
Mine changed because I answered a phone.
Years after that first night, Karen and I went back to the overlook on our anniversary.
Rain fell lightly.
