Long time no see. Sweetheart.
Both sounded as innocuous as possible if being heard without context.
But for Stephanie, his 'long time no see' meant there were days they were inseparable, as literal as seeing each other.
'Long time no see' meant there was a shared history between the person who said it and the person who received it.
'Sweetheart' meant there had been a special place of the person who received it in the heart of the person who said it.
Strung together in a sentence, both parts were affectionate, if only the reality of the past didn't turn it ominous.
"Frost Flower." Her brain failed to supply her mouth with any other greetings.
By the mention of this name, Mark was immediately aware of who the man standing before his eyes was. He shifted farther than Stephanie to give her room to process her emotions that flashed in her eyes. If they both wanted to sort it out somewhere today, Mark had hardened his heart to allow Stephanie and Frost Flower to go together.
