Una and Petra bought the same two tickets every other Friday. Back row, left side, far enough from people who talked through films. They had known each other for six years, since Petra sought someone to replace a partner who canceled a film quiz. Una had then mistaken a title everyone at the table knew and spent the evening certain she would never be invited again. Petra called the very next day, insisting she needed someone with whom she could lose with dignity.
Over the years both had relationships with other women. Their Fridays sometimes disappeared from the calendar and returned, each time a little more precious. Una began feeling something different after Petra spent an entire afternoon with her waiting for news of her mother's operation. It was not a dramatic moment. Petra simply fetched sandwiches and knew which one Una could manage when things were difficult. After that, ordinary meetings were no longer entirely ordinary.
Then the cinema closed for renovations. Petra suggested another venue across town. Una said it was too far, although it was not, because she feared how much she missed their old ritual. Petra thought she wanted to meet less often. Two Fridays passed in short messages about work and weather. On the third, Una bought two tickets to the new cinema but did not send them as the usual reminder.
She called and said she wanted an evening they did not have to pretend was merely the continuation of a habit. Petra remained silent for a long time. Una was already preparing to retreat when she heard the question: did she mean a date? She replied that she did. Petra said she wanted the same but had feared losing a friend over a possibility that might exist only on her side. Neither promised that nothing would become awkward. They simply agreed not to hide the conversation behind a film.
The new auditorium did not have their seats. They sat in the middle, too close to loud teenagers and far from the exit. The film was not particularly good. Halfway through, Petra reached across the armrest between them, and Una took her hand without looking. Afterward they walked for a long time, discussing things they would have to learn despite already knowing each other. The following Friday they skipped the cinema. They cooked dinner at Una's and missed the beginning of a television film, happy that this time no purchased ticket determined when their conversation must stop.