It is not age that has wearied her, but motherhood.

There she is at the opposite table in this northern suburbs family feedbag. Can't be more than 18, but she looks like a harrassed and destitute 18 year old. She's tending to small children, but they're not that small. My brain refuses to do the math regarding conception dates.

The father is there. She's lucky.

What surprises me here is the extent to which I'm not surprised. What surprises me is that more of these people don't do themselves in. With nothing to look forward to but decades of hand-to-mouth existence and zero measurable achievement, why on earth would these people want to go on?