Over my shrimp fried rice, I eavesdrop on the flutter of conversations drifting from surrounding booths. Friends lunching and laughing.

Dining alone, I write about future undiscovered friendships in my journal. I’m in no rush to finish my meal, so I sip my jasmine tea and anticipate my fortune cookie.

Roberta Beach Jacobson wrote this story while dining solo at her neighborhood Chinese restaurant. Her fortune: ‘Investigate new possibilities with friends. Now is the time!’