Sunlight through the leaves and that perfect cozy knit – feeling like this all autumn long. A little bit of quiet chaos, a whole lot of love for these simple moments…and maybe a hint of pumpkin spice!...

The wool feels scratchy tonight, doesn't it? Not unpleasant – not always unpleasant – but definitely there. A little too aware against the skin, perhaps. Like we all were back then. Remember the feeling of those cables, snaking around, sometimes tight, often barely noticed. It’s been years, hasn’t it? Seven, if the wine was true to say last time.

And your eyes… always so observant. Or maybe that’s just because we haven’t really bothered to hide anything much lately. Still wearing the silver ring, though. The one he gave you, remember? Said it needed polishing. Well, it did, didn’t it? More than just the metal, anyway.

Here, don’t be shy. It’s only natural to frown when you’re thinking about it. It’s been a while since we allowed ourselves to do much of anything other than shrug things off, hadn’t we? Just another quiet evening, nestled amongst the books and the scent of woodsmoke, until that noise came along. That inevitable crack in the calm, seven years ago. Did you notice us both staring out the window? Probably.

We weren'ed blathering, of course. Too many times for that. This time, it felt quieter, more honest. Lessens to blame, more to give, almost. But then…then the dark started creeping in, didn't it? And everyone thinks we knew, naturally. We weren't blamed, just... pushed away.

Now look at you, standing there with that hesitant smile. Not quite sure whether to expect an argument, or simply acceptance. Maybe even hope. So go ahead, glance over our way. Doesn’t hurt, does it? Unless you’re afraid to admit it. Doesn’t hurt us either, necessarily. Just... try not to stare too hard."

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