The Beginning of Something

a serialized novella for fans of the film Babygirl

I was waiting outside the shop for an order of steamed pork dumplings. The place was a tiny storefront in a retail village on the outskirts of a southern city. It was just past noon. The sidewalk was still damp from a sudden rainstorm, though the sun was high and hot.

On that day, I wore a summer dress, white sneakers, and a small leather purse, which held keys, a lipstick, and my phone.

I had purchased the dress in Los Angeles, the purse in Paris. In recent years I had whittled my belongings down to things I found both useful and aesthetically pleasing. I had more space than when I was younger, but fewer things in it. I preferred subtraction to addition. At some point I had gone from the acquisition phase of life to the curatorial phase.