The red London bus flew past swiftly on its lane, flinging a frigid gust of air at me. My unzipped coat flailed. I looked down, shivering as I pulled the zip up. It got caught around the middle. The banana in my jacket’s pocket almost fell over.

My dry, flaking lips tightened, and I looked up to see if anyone was watching — irrational embarrassment, if there ever was one. I sighed with discontent. I thought I didn’t deserve this inconvenience at this moment. Then, with the precision of a drunk bear, I tugged at the zip. It chose not to budge. I sighed again, more powerfully this time, and the zipper skated up to the collar. A fuzzy, warm feeling engulfed me. The coat gave good bear hugs. I began to wonder why I kept circling back to bears. I shrugged it off as my attention got ensnared by something else entirely.

A yellow light burst through the seams of the building. A door had opened a few dozen feet ahead. Someone with a long overcoat stepped out, eclipsing the blinding light. I squinted my eyes. This large ray of light was brighter than the dim streetlights by tenfold. The door closed, and I could hear the clinking of glasses from a nearby pub. The usual nightly ambience returned. Yet now, there was one more shadow on the deserted street. A shadow that seemed to look at me. Wait, did it? It was hard to tell which way it was facing. I try to guess for a brief second before giving up. I heed it no more thought as I approach closer. Just another stranger among the millions I had already seen earlier that day. Or so I thought.

I had now ambled much closer, and I could see the shadow much better. I could now gaze upon the freckled cheeks, the two curtains of hair on either end of its face and the bright red nose. I confirm now that the shadow had been facing me all this while, not moving an inch. I don’t privilege the shadow — well, she’s no longer a shadow, I was no more than six feet away — with anymore of my attention.

A glint of metal. My heart stops.

The sharp edges and the rounded corners twinkled softly. The metal zigzagged into the shape of a lightning bolt. I had seen those earrings before.

I freeze in place.

“Kaylie?”

“Hey.”

“How’ve you been doing?”

“It’s been goin’ okay. How about you?”

“I’ve been great.”

I thought I noticed a flicker of an emotion I could not identify on her face.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, do you live in London too?” I inquired.

“Yeah, I moved here two years ago, how about you?”

“I’ve been here for a year or so. I’m getting my master’s.”

“Really?”

I noticed a spark of interest.

“Yeah, how about you?”

“I’m in art school.”