"Ev, would you like to dance?"
Evan turned to his wife and raised his eyebrows in question. Katarina smiled warmly and nodded. Only then did he stand and turn to face Miri.
"Of course."
He extended his hand. Miri took it and followed him to the dance floor. The song was slow, so Evan took her right hand in his left and placed his right on the side of her hip. He moved with confidence, and Miri easily followed his lead. He was tall and wide, she was shorter and slender, but they'd had a lot of practice dancing together.
She looked at his face. So handsome. Full head of wavy dark hair now graying at the temples. Thick eyebrows and large deep-set brown eyes. His long nose was just a little crooked, and he had a thin scar on his chin below his full lips. She stared at his eyes, willing them to look at hers, but he gazed out over the top of her upturned face, his features completely neutral.
"Thank you for dancing with me," she finally said.
He nodded. "Of course."
"Bradley looked so handsome up there, didn't he?"
"He did indeed."
"He looks so much like you. It's eerie."
"Well, I am his father."
"And he looked just like you did on our wedding day." Evan moved them around the dance floor without acknowledging her comment. She sighed. "I've told you how sorry I am, Ev. I hoped that your generosity would extend to me by now. You have a new wife, and both of the kids tell me you're very happy. Why are you still punishing me?"
"I'm not punishing you. You are an acquaintance with whom I share a history and two children. I'm civil to you, as I am to everyone I know. What more do you want, Miriam?"
He'd never once used her full name before. She noticed. "That's all I am to you? An acquaintance? After everything we've been through?"
"After everything we've been through I'd think you'd consider yourself lucky to be that. I'm told Oscar still has tinnitus."
She sighed again. "We're going to be in each other's lives, Ev. Holidays with children and grandchildren and all. Can't you forgive me?"
"I have forgiven you, Miriam. I couldn't have moved on without it. But I don't know what else you want from me."
"I explained it all in my letter to you. I never meant to hurt you. I wasn't trying to end our marriage or destroy our family. I never wanted any of that."
"No, you just wanted to fuck my best friend."
"It wasn't like that! Please understand. That's what I want. I want you to understand that I didn't do any of that out of spite. I spent three weeks writing that letter so you'd understand."
"I didn't read your letter."
"What do you mean you didn't read it?"
"I didn't see the point."
Stunned, Miri stopped moving, so Evan did too. They stood in a static dancers' pose.