The Arrival Before the Arrival

Something that’s happened to me frequently over the years is that certain encounters feel preceded. I’ll think I recognize someone while walking down the street, only to realize it isn’t them. Then—almost immediately—that actual person appears, rounding the corner as if on cue.

Just the other day, I was standing at the tram stop and thought, Oh, that woman in the green jacket is Nadine. She wasn’t. I clocked my mistake and let it go.

Then the tram arrived. The doors opened. And there she was—Nadine—sitting inside, wearing a green jacket.