Gondwanaland

I heard from Maria again. A few weeks ago we'd made plans for a fourth date, and when I was starting on my way there she called to say she'd been up late the night before and was tired, so she asked to postpone it. But after I messaged her about plans the following weekend, she didn't get back to me. A few days ago I messaged her again, and yesterday left something on her voice mail indicating my displeasure. So today she PMed me back with an explanation that there'd been a death in the family, and she hopes to get together again soon.

That, I can certainly understand. After my father died when I was a teenager, I remember my mother took me out of school and drug me around for a few weeks. There wasn't anything for me actually to do to help her, but it seems she needed my company. And it happened so suddenly that my teachers didn't know what was going on until after the fact.