A Thematic Table of Contents

The walk to the door was exhausting, the path dazzlingly bright. The thought of the handle was a drain. The sun felt relentless, searing. He held the handle and just stood there. It was all he had to simply stand. He rang the bell. It might have been standing there…

Aoife’s worst fears were confirmed at dinner. It was bad. — What is THIS? — Fish. — I don’t like it. — Maybe try a potato? — YUK — they’re worse. Gearáin hadn’t actually tasted anything. Fresh natural food — preposterously expensive back home — and he was making faces…

An emailing nightmare — I am ambivalent about the modern office. There is a lot to be said for working in one — more structure, better air conditioning (depending on where you are working, obviously), having a “work-spouse” (or in my former case, a “pub-after-work-spouse”), and now, a chance at working from home. But…

— You’re staring at the stars again. Do you think they won’t come back? — They’ll be back. — You didn’t think they’d go though, did you? — Listen, I didn’t think that thing could survive launch. Looked like a wreck. — It did though. — It did. And we’re…

The rain kept raining. It looked like it would never stop. Slow heavy wet drops, covering everything, each drop bouncing off the wet ground, and spreading out spectacularly, falling in slow motion. All five stood at the office window, looking out. Work was done for the day, but they just…

And then finally, there was a moment, as day’s end drew nearer. A lot of anxiety and ennui, of waiting and running. A long day’s journey through the airports and across the oceans and into the night. The day started in thin morning in a distant timezone; it ended almost…