The message, read again

It's Thursday. The message you sent on Tuesday still has two blue ticks and no reply. The sentence arrives. They're not that bothered.

And this time, before it sets, three others turn up beside it. They read it in a shop. It went under. They've got something on. The first sentence is still there, but it's one of four now, and it's lost its authority, and the evening doesn't happen. You put the phone down and make dinner.

On Saturday a reply comes. "Sorry! Saw this in Tesco and it went straight out of my head. Yes to the thing on the 14th, what time?" And you notice, with some interest, that it's exactly the reply you'd have sent, for exactly the reason.

Do one thing. Take the charge you wrote down at the end of chapter 1, the one that stung, the one you never checked. Name three causes for it that need no malice. If it still matters, ask the person one plain question this week. If it doesn't, cross it out. Either way, that's the habit, started.