The lily unfurled. A man walking on the street below appeared to wave; he was waving at me – it was my father. I wanted to shout his name but the only thing I managed to say before he disappeared was: “Look out!” The words were still echoing when the vase burst with a crash. All around me, shards were spinning like spokes in wheels. I was drenched with glass. The pieces had become so small that they couldn’t be distinguished from one another. Each was surrounded by an almost imperceptible halo of other pieces.