"And how about yourself?" the girl said.
"I am an old woman," Mrs. Wladek said. "Who would hire an old woman?"
The girl nodded. "It's been a long time since your husband died," she said.
"In an accident with an automobile," Mrs. Wladek said. "I remember that time. It is sad to think of."
"And Rudi hasn't found any work in all that time," the girl said.
"He looks hard," Mrs. Wladek said earnestly. This was a game that had to be played, she knew, a conversation that started and finished each time she came for an appointment. "He looks but work is difficult to find," she said.
"I understand," the girl said. "But I'm sure you and Rudi will both find work soon." She paused and her eyes closed.
Mrs. Wladek felt something happen.
It was ... she felt ... a stirring, a changing—
She stood up suddenly and the chair clattered, balanced and rocked back upright. "What are you doing?"