The coffee shop seemed to take on a surreal quality as I listened to her confession."She texted me on the way back from Vermont to say she missed me. ...hen on New Years Day she stopped by my place in the evening and stalked around like an angry cat. I'd never seen her like that before. She was so rough with me that night, and then afterwards she said it was over between us. I never understood what happened."The bitter taste of the coffee was suddenly unbearable. I could have told her what. We retreated to his room and I settled him down by telling him I was going to spring history questions at him. Joel sat on the floor by the desk doing sit ups as I asked him questions. 'Napoleon ruled what country?...The shot heard round the world was fired when?...'Joel answered each question without hesitation. I asked Joel 'if you don't need my help why do you keep asking for me to aide you?' Joel stood up and dropped his pants to his ankles 'I thought you understood that we are now fuck. They both moaned as their tongues met. Lucas’ hand traced the ladder of her ribs to close over her breast as he ran his thumb over one hardened peak she let out a soft whimper. He smiled inwardly enjoying her sounds. He found it pleased him that he was eliciting these reactions in her. Grace was beyond reason. She was simply a pool of liquid heat. She ran her hands under his shirt tracing the hard planes of his chest causing him to growl into their kiss. Lucas pulled away from her breathing. ”“Haven’t they?”The precipice collapsed. Gravity rediscovered its will. His chair tumbled into the abyss, smashed to bits on a towering pile of discarded fear. For the first time in so very many years ... all those wasted decades since he’d lost her ... he felt her hand. She was still holding on. Still clinging to a sound, still tasting his memory. Beneath him was a strong foundation of rock. He listened to its solidity until clamor and chaos receded into silence.It’s such a lovely day. When.