Edó and Csabi were sitting in their favorite café, talking about meeting Marianna and Pisti at the open square near the harbor, by the casino side. But Edó’s mind was elsewhere. She kept replaying the long phone conversation she had had with Marianna.

A few days earlier, Marianna had messaged her, saying they were organizing this year’s Old Girls’ Club reunion for mid-July. Everyone would be there. She had almost begged her.

Edó, you have to be there. You mean a lot to all of us. Find a way. If you need to, we’ll even send you a plane ticket.

They had talked for more than an hour. It filled Edó with energy. She knew she could not miss it. The only thing she kept thinking about was how to tell Csabi that she wanted to travel alone. This was a girls’ reunion. No husbands.

In the end, she said it. Marianna called. She invited me to Miskolc in July, to the girls’ gathering. I want to go. I think it would do me good. You’d even get a little break from me. You’ll have to take care of Spuri, though. It would be three or four days. I really want to be there.

Csabi looked at her. Don’t be ridiculous, Edó. If you didn’t want to go, I’d be the one convincing you. You love each other. You’ll come back stronger. We’ll be fine here. Don’t worry. Start organizing the trip, and let me know if I can help.

From that moment on, everything sped up. At Csabi’s urging, Edó even agreed to go into El Corte Inglés to buy new clothes. Lately, she hadn’t liked spending money on things like that, but now she was excited. She was waiting for the final date so she could book the flight and arrange her stay in Miskolc.

Whenever she thought of the city, her eyes filled with tears. She didn’t even dare calculate how long it had been since she was last there. Not once since her parents had passed. No matter where life had taken her, her Miskolc identity had remained. She was proud of it.

One day, after a long walk, they got home and she saw Marianna’s message. The reunion was postponed to October. The explanation was long, but Edó didn’t care anymore. She sat down. A sudden weakness hit her. She couldn’t move for minutes.

Csabi saw something was wrong.

Edó only said one word, with a small gesture.

It’s off.

A few days later, she calmed down. At least it won’t be that hot, she thought. The important thing is, I’ll be there anyway. In mid-August, she spoke with Marianna again. The hope returned. Everyone was waiting for her.

On August 30th, Edó died.

In one day.

On October 19th, at five in the afternoon, the former DVTK players sat around the table. Almost everyone was there.

Edó wasn’t.

They had moved past the initial shock. For a long time, all they could think was that if the reunion hadn’t been postponed in July, then maybe… But Hege was the first to say they needed to step away from that line of thinking. No one was to blame. That’s life. Let’s say goodbye properly.

Marianna took over. She suggested that everyone share one sentence, one short memory about Edó, and then let her go. Let her fly.

She started. Not with basketball, but with the way Edó smoked. Calm, elegant, almost ceremonial. Her mother-in-law used to say, Editkém, I’ll bring you a coffee, just light a cigarette. I love watching you smoke.

Megyó spoke next. I can still hear her voice, she said. The way she’d call out, Megyó, stop messing around, let’s go. Or when she pushed me to finally throw a proper party. Then she added, I’m not competing with anyone here, but I know I was her closest friend.

Jaszi laughed. Then where was I, she said. What she remembered most was Edó’s loyalty. She never formed cliques. When there was trouble, she stood by you. Jaszi, we’ll figure it out. Come over, we’ll talk it through.

Spisák Ilona, known as Spicc, spoke quietly. They used to take the bus home together to Avas. Sometimes they got off halfway, just to keep talking.

Szilvi said she had joined later, but she couldn’t have asked for a stronger support. You’re talented. Don’t mess it up, Edó once told her.

Szirbik Gabi didn’t want to go into details. She only said, she called me Gabimami. That’s enough.

Molnár Gabi recalled when Edó told her she was breaking up with her boyfriend because the boy from Leninváros had come back. She warned her not to rush. Edó simply said, he’s the one. And that was it.

Mesi couldn’t finish her sentence. They had sat in the same desk for four years. Everything had been shared. Mostly their fate. She broke down in tears.

Márti said quietly that whenever she heard her own name, she still heard it in Edó’s voice.

Ági remembered the competition for the trip to France. Edó won. She had asked her then, do you hate me now? No, she said. Not at all.

Ottilia quoted her. You’ll regret it if you leave. She was right, as always.

Kati said she regretted they hadn’t been closer. They belonged to slightly different generations.

At the end, Icus stood up.

She said it had been worth supporting Edó. She had never abused that trust. She had been a good girl, and an even better woman. She stayed in touch with Csabi. She asked the others to do the same. That’s what Edó would expect.

They stood up.

They raised their glasses.

And they let her go.