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days here.”
    “I didn’t say anything. I’m glad you’re going out.” She did her best to sound convincing. “It’s just…I wanted to talk to you. I miss you.”
    “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah, I’m okay. Just a little wired. It’s snowing here. Can you believe it? And my mother just called.”
    “Oh?”
    Jane heard the soft clack of keys on the keyboard. She breathed out once, stood up, walked to the window to watch the snow. She was silent for a minute, listening to him trying to type without being heard.
    “Why don’t you call me tomorrow? When you’re not so busy.”
    He stopped. “You sure you’re okay?”
    “Yes. I’m fine.”
    “All right. It’ll have to be late. I’m scouting locations in the morning with Ana, and then back in edit the rest of the day.”
    “You’re scouting locations with Ana.”
    She almost heard him bristle across the line, three thousand miles away.
    “Yes. She’s my assistant. She helps me scout locations.”
    She took a deep breath. This conversation was both ancient and exhausting. No one told Ben what to do with his time. It was something she’d always respected about him. Anyway, he was right; Ana was his coworker. He had every right to spend time with her.
    “I’m sorry, Ben. I’m just feeling down. I shouldn’t be taking it out on you. Good luck with everything. I’ll talk to you later.”
    “Jane…”
    “Goodbye, Ben. Have fun tonight.”
    She held the phone for a moment, then hung up.
    *  *  *
    She would think about it later. About her mother, about Ben. Right now, all she wanted to do was clear her head.
    She went to the kitchen and put away the groceries. She rummaged through her cabinets for flour, sugar, chocolate chips, following an old recipe from memory. She wrapped herself in blankets on the sofa, putting on the TV, balancing a plate of hot cookies and a cup of milk on her lap. She was licking crumbs off her arm when the phone rang.
    “Hello?”
    “Hi. Jane? This is David.”
    “David?”
    “Yes, uh, David Casey.”
    “Oh, yes. I know who. I’m just…surprised to hear from you.” She sat up from the couch, quickly, as if he could see her. With her free hand, she smoothed down her hair.
    “I hope…um…I’m not disturbing you.” His low voice thrummed through her. She squeezed her eyes shut.
    “No, no. Not at all. How are you? The snow’s terrible, isn’t it?” She turned to push aside the curtain beside the couch. “I can barely see out the window.”
    “Yeah, it’s bad. I think we’ll have a snow day tomorrow.”
    “Really?” She couldn’t contain the glee in her voice.
    “What? You won’t miss the chance to educate a young mind?”
    “Are you kidding me? I have seven seasons of Buffy to watch and a bowl full of cookie dough in the fridge. Please. I hope it snows all week.”
    She cradled the phone against her shoulder, leaning back again into the cushions and pulling the blankets up around her middle. It was easier, talking to him on the phone. Easier when he wasn’t sitting across a table from her. She let herself relax.
    “Did you say something about cookies?”
    “I have a weakness. Chocolate chip.”
    “You’re killing me.”
    “Didn’t you just go to the grocery store?”
    “Frozen pizza, it turns out, is not very sustaining.”
    “Oh, that’s too bad. Well…do you want to come over? I have plenty.” God, what was she doing?
    “Come over? To your house. For homemade cookies.”
    She dug her fingernails into her palm. “Yes.”
    “Um, yes. Okay. Maybe I will come by.”
    A mental image arose of sitting beside David on the couch in her pajamas, watching her favorite show. She thought of how he smelled when he helped steady her in the parking lot. She cleared her throat. “Actually, I have an idea.”
    “Let’s hear it.”
    “Want to meet at the beach? Watch the snow come down for a while? I’ll bring the cookies. You bring some hot tea?”
    “Hmm…” She heard the smile in his voice.