Reconciled.

An old friend approached me in the grocery store and started talking to me. She was so bright and interested. Years ago, when the kids were little we were friends, but she distanced herself from me, and I thought I had offended her, because she didn't return phone calls. When I've seen her in the past two years, I've been friendly but guarded because it was pretty clear she would engage in a greeting but she wanted nothing further. Not so today.

She told me about her life, and some pretty trying times over the past six years. She said she'd kind of battened down the hatches and withdrew from everyone but her husband and kids. At this point, in the middle of the parking lot, I said, oh, I thought I had offended you years ago. No, Annie, she said, you are one of three people I closed out and I wished I hadn't.
I never would have known. We made plans to get together and I'll be calling her soon. Relieved. I missed her a lot.