it all falls apart in the end

As I was walking home this afternoon, I saw a young woman - college student, I suppose - sitting on a stairway sobbing - literally sobbing - into her hands.

I wanted to stop to ask if she was okay - which would've been a stupid question - but I didn't. No one did. That's just not done in the city, I guess.

I felt bad about it, but what would I have said?

I suspect she'd have thought I was kind of creepy simply for stopping to ask.

So I kept walking, keeping up the uncomfortable pretense that nothing was out of the ordinary. Pretending that I didn't notice.



I did go back a little later to check if she was still there.

She was gone.