Tenderness
I am driving along in my car. The car in front of me stops in the middle of the road. I can’t see why he has stopped and I lift my hand to give the horn a little toot. Then I notice a lizard crossing the road, between the tyres of the car in front of me. It’s too late to stop my hand. It’s already pressing the horn. I toot and feel bad.

The social worker comes to visit the bedridden cancer patient at home. She asks the patient to tell her who all the people in the photos are.

I’m late returning library books again. I ask the nice librarian what the fine is, hoping she will let me pay this time. No fine. ‘You can ring and extend, you know.’ She explains patiently, for the umpteenth time.

A street cat sniffs at the plastic cheese containers someone has left out with cat food inside. Another cat has been there before him.