The table

You are surrounded by people you know.

The table is full. Everyone is talking and there is a specific noise that full tables make — a warm noise, a good noise. Someone is telling a story. Someone is laughing at the end of it.

You have your drink. You are present. You are smiling at the right moments.

And also there is something happening slightly to the left of all this. A small distance — not a wall, more like glass. You can see everything through it. The warmth is real. You are receiving it.

Across the table someone catches your eye and smiles and you smile back and it is real too. All of it is real.

You take a sip of your drink.

You look at your drink.