She stopped at the door, hesitated and shifted her weight. Turning, she planted her eyes on him, straining for some semblance of reaction, some sign of emotion.

Sitting in his chair by the window, his eyes were fixed, his gaze unmoving, a stoic countenance betraying the storm underneath.

You can’t be doing this. Not now. Not after all we….

Will you cast it all aside with one grand heave?

Have we nothing?

Do not leave me – not now!

I will change! I can become who you want me to be.I can!

I do not want to be alone.

You cannot do this!

Think of what we had!

Were we not the envy of the world? What happened? What changed? Remember that night at the ocean? Did the stars not sing to us? Were we not lost in each other? And what of the afternoon at the river? Remember? I do not believe – I will not believe it meant nothing. You gave yourself to me – our very souls touched. No, this cannot be!

What happened? What changed? Are we really that different?

We can work this out. I know we can!

Just don’t leave me to myself in this house! Banished to a cold, lonesome bed only to dream of you and awaken to nothing but a ticking clock…

I cannot do this.

I cannot live like this. Not apart from you.

I need you.

Please. I beg of you. Don’t leave!

Watching, observing, she ached to see any softening, any sense of need, any longing for the intimacy that had once defined them.

Instead, she saw that old familiar face, unmoved, unaffected, unaltered by even this grievous event.

Silence seemed to fill the void.

At last, looking down and sighing deeply, she turned, opened the door and walked away as he sat, statue-like, staring out the window, silently weeping.