The stranger eventually began walking in my direction.
They moved slowly, stopping once to let a traveler pass with a large suitcase. As they came closer, I noticed that they were carrying a small bag of their own.
My first instinct was to wonder whether they intended to ask me for money. Travelers stranded overnight can be vulnerable, and I had already heard several people discussing unexpected expenses caused by the delays.
I also wondered whether they might ask for directions.
When the stranger finally stopped a short distance away, neither of those possibilities seemed to fit.
They looked at me, then at the damp clothes I was wearing, and asked whether I had managed to eat anything that evening.
The question caught me off guard.
I had been so focused on the canceled and delayed departures that I had barely thought about food. I had eaten earlier in the day, but hours had passed since then. I was hungry, although I had been trying to ignore the feeling.
