Ross and Rachel may have been talking about romance when they declared, "We were on a break!" but the line lands just as hard when it comes to friendships. The end of a close friendship—whether sudden or gradual—can surface in the folds of daily life, from a song you used to listen to together to routines you once shared.

"I've seen these long-lost friends in my dream," says Yukti Bhagchandani, "Sometimes I'm in a particular town eating some random dish that reminds me of them—maybe because we shared it once, or because of some story tied to it. And then, just as suddenly, the memory fades."

To understand why the loss cuts so deep, Newsweek speaks with friendship experts and women who have lived through it.

Anna Goldfarb, author of Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Co

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