Part One: The Question That Won't Leave You Alone

Somewhere around 3:14 in the afternoon — always 3:14 in the afternoon, never any other time — a question shows up that you did not invite and cannot quite dismiss.

It arrives between meetings, or in line at the grocery store, or somewhere between the second and third sip of coffee. Sometimes it shows up at 3:14 in the morning, which is rude. The question is some version of this: