The vision was so beautiful, so exactly what he had always secretly longed for, that for a moment, Finnian was lost in it.


    "Mr. Everly, are you alright?" Amara asked, noticing his strange expression.


    Finnian snapped back to reality, a sh of pain in his eyes as he looked at her face. He took her hand. “I haven''t eaten yet. Would you... cook a meal with me?"


    Amara looked down, her voice barely a whisper. "If you''re hungry, Mr. Everly, we can go back to the estate. There''s food in the kitchen."


    "I want to eat your cooking," he said with a stubborn insistence. "Consider it repayment for me saving you the other day. Please?"


    There was a pleading note in his voice that she found impossible to refuse. He had saved her life; cooking one meal with him was the least she could do.


    After a moment of silence, she said, "There''s no food in the house." As the word "house" left her lips, a pang of sadness hit her. This was once *their* house.


    "The supermarket is right next door," Finnian said. "We can go buy groceries." "Okay," Amara agreed.


    They went out and returned a short timeter with bags of groceries. In the kitchen, they worked together to prepare two simple stir-fry dishes. Amara had already eaten, so when they sat down at the table, she just watched as Finnian ate.


    When he was finished, she nced at the clock. It was nearly ten. "It''ste, Mr. Everly. We should go back."


    Finnian reached across the table and took her hand. “Amara, let''s stay here tonight."


    She was startled. "No, I can''t...”


    "Amara, I''m begging you." He tightened his grip on her hand. "I won''t do anything, I promise. I just regret it so much. In three years of


    marriage, I never came over


    spent a single normal day with you as a husband. I just want one night here with you, to make up for some of that lost time."


    His words were so sincere that they broke her heart a little. So he did feel regret? What was going on inside thatplicated mind of his?


    She didn''t want to think about it anymore, afraid that if she did, she might start to cry.


    "Alright," she said, her heart softening once again.


    She would stay. Not just for him, but for herself. Maybe if they spent one night here, pretending they were still married, she could finally let go of all her own regrets and begin to truly forget him. It was a long shot, but she had to try.


    Since they were staying, they couldn''t just waste the evening. Amara led Finnian upstairs to the home theater. They put on a movie, and for the entire duration, neither of them spoke a word. Amara was engrossed in the film, but Finnian''s eyes never left her. He couldn''t have said what the movie was about.


    As he watched her, he wondered how she could possibly be so calm. It had to be because she felt nothing for him anymore. Unlike him, whose mind was so full of her that there was no room for anything else. The thought filled him with a bitter sadness.


    After the movie, it was time for bed.


    ***