Summary

Martha and Patrick began spending time together, meeting during his breaks at the hospital. During one of those encounters, Ingrid phoned to say that she was pregnant. The next day, they went to a café and discussed the topic of children. Martha was clear in her refusal to have any while Patrick had always imagined children in his life. They walked along the Thames until Martha asked to go to Patrick’s flat. There, she met his roommate, a fellow doctor whom she instantly disliked for sharing Patrick’s intimacy. Patrick announced that he was leaving on a five-and-a-half-month mission to Uganda but Martha would not say this upset her. One day, while he was away, she felt so lonely that she cried in a public park and was consoled by a stranger. In hindsight, she realized that whereas she thought he was...