They played Scrabble with each other using their smartphones. It was a way to stay in touch. Smartphone Scrabble: the new version of texting, which was the new version of email, which was the new version of real mail.

He could tell when she was feeling low—the worst moments were the dips into 3-letter words that were only worth as many points. He thought if she played "EAT" or "TOE," then her heart wasn't really in it. And he wondered, where had her mind wandered off to?

But she checked her phone incessantly for the turn being thrown back her way. If he took the time to place a word, she thought, that was at least a minute out of his day when his focus was at least partially directed to something that was in some way related to her.