"It is not that I don't want to, Hugh..."
"So you say, Elaine," he interjected, glancing back up at his lover, a gaze filled with hurt and longing. And then he blinked and it disappeared. "I don't want us to quarrel, Elaine."
Elaine nodded, agreeing. She placed her hand on his and their fingers intertwined, gripping each other's hands firmly.
"Let us enjoy each other's company," she said and then adding in a whisper that Hugh could not quite catch, she said, "I do not know how much time I have left."
The couple stayed there, even after the sun went to sleep and the moon's light bathed them. They did not move, simply enjoying each other's company, their legs dipped in the now cold, pond water.
After a while, they decided it was time to head back and turn in for the night. And though both of them agreed, both were reluctant to leave. The night was cold and windy, yet they did not want to leave, comforted by their partner's warmth and presence.
