Ted could hear Meredith before he saw her, the steps of her boots echoing up the stairwell. She was peering up between the bannisters at the narrow slice of high ceiling, but by the time she rose into his view up the last set of stairs she was staring straight ahead. He held the door open for her and moved out of the doorway to invite her in. A nice guy, as usual.

"Hi," she said. There was just no good way to do this. She shouldn't have come.

"Hi." She could hear the closedness in his voice.

"So, um. What's up?" She just didn't have anything to say. Why had she come?

"So. What did you want to tell me?"

"Oh," she said. "Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you were all right." That was true. Sort of. Well, everything but the "just" part.

Ted shook his head. To make sure he was all right. She came over to make sure he wasn't all right, to make sure it hurt him to lose her.

"I'm fine." He said, looking her right in the eye. "How are you?"

"Fine," she said. The door to the kitchen opened.