“Do you ever slow down?” she asked, frustrated at the sudden change in conversation.

“I can’t afford to slow down. There is way too much to do, and way too little time to do it!” he snapped. God, what is with her today?!

“Did you ever wonder why that is?”

“I don’t have time for useless ruminations on things!” He was already tired of this conversation. Exasperated, he turned and glared at her. “Why can’t you understand that?!”

She stood there for a heartbeat, and that’s all the time it took for him to notice the tears she held back. “I…” For the first time in many, many years, he was at a loss for words.

“Is that why we don’t go anywhere anymore?” her voice shuddered. “Am I just a ‘useless rumination’?”

“I… No! Of course not!” He walked over and put his arms around her. “But you have to understand, it’s just the way life is right now. It’s just how we have to live.”

“That’s your life, right now, but that’s not really living.” He stopped, looked down, and everything else vanished but her.