Spikey was sitting on the broad window still with a mug of hot chocolate and a magazine. Rain spattered against the glass, and she watched the rush-hour three floors below. Lines of cars were waiting for the traffic light, bicycles squeezed past them, sometimes coming dangerously close to the canal.
The view was one of the few advantages of this worn down room. The street was never boring.
Her entertainment was disturbed by the beep of her cellphone. She picked it up and looked at the display. An unfamiliar number, and a long one too.
" Hello."
" Spikey?"
She felt how her heart became cold and heavy. She had recognized the voice, but tried to sound as calm as possible.
" Yes..."
A long pause.
" Don't you recognize my voice?"
" Bjorn?"
" Uhuh."
" So. Why do you call me?"
" I wanted to know how you were doing."
" I'm fine."
Wanted to know how she was? What did he expect her to say? That she had cried until her eyes were bloodred, that she hadn hardly eaten for days after he had left, and gotten totally pissed on her first night out?

" Glad to hear that. You know, I... I'm, well... Sorry."
" About what?"
" Well, I said some things I shouldn't have said."
" So you did."
" Well, that's all realy."
" Oh."
Another pause.

" Don't you want to know how I am?"
" Not realy no."
She had thought of him for months, asked herself what he would be doing, what he ate, what he was wearing, if he cried about her too, if he had met another girl.

" I miss you."
" Oh."
" Realy Spikey, I think I made a mistake. I... Think I still love you."
She sighed.

" Sorry Bjorn... But that love is overdue. Byebye."