As they prepared a simple meal, the two women fell into an easy rhythm, but Emily’s thoughts were far away. After dinner, as they sat down to eat, Emily couldn’t hold back any longer. She began telling Margaret everything that had happened on the cruise—the man who looked like Luke, the confusion, the shock.
She recounted the argument, the tears, and the moment when George had revealed his name. She told Margaret how she couldn’t stop thinking about it, how George seemed to have the same laugh, the same posture, the same warmth as Luke. Margaret had been listening intently, her face unreadable.