Ever’s world took a gravity drop in terms of shock, a bump on the ground of understanding – he thought he was there – that she was with him. Did he really, when had she ever said that?

‘I won’t do this anymore. What can I do? Call your doctor, tell him what you are going to do? I don’t even know that you have clearly expressed what the hell you are going to do.’

A long exhalation that left no breath in her lungs, and a pause for the refill.

‘You are seriously going to kill a man who thwarted your father’s creativity?’

‘Yes.’

There was a pause filled with her amazement.

‘I think so, yes.’

‘On the basis that your father was what? Exposed as a no-talent, a commercially non-viable artist?’

Ever had never entertained these kinds of words with these kinds of sounds and formations.

‘My father is—’

Was all he found himself saying.

‘You are blaming a man for your father’s death.’

‘No, for the death of my father’s life. You don’t understand the concept, a physical death is one thing, but to kill the spirit is another.’

‘Why do you believe that? Have you not understood what I have done to try to discourage this belief in you?’

‘I was just an entertainment, you thought my belief in revenge would pass. Is that it? Well it hasn’t, and I understand you want nothing to do with me anymore.’

‘I can’t do this, if that is what you continue to believe. I have to remove myself from this, my sweet, as much as I care for you. I can’t be party to a murder. I thought that with help and a little bit of love, a relationship, you would realise, change, come through, but you are still fixated. I don’t think you are being honest with me. I am going to my bed. And I think you should do the same, and tomorrow we must address this.’

‘And you want me to go?’

‘What I want is to see this through, help you. Get rid of your pain. I recognise pain, I understand it, and maybe we are both not being honest with each other. You can’t live like you live. I know that feeling. When you can’t live with something.’

You don’t.

Ever kept his disagreement to himself: it never developed beyond a thought.

‘I won’t feed or enable your madness, my sweet, I thought I could calm it and make reason come into that brain of yours.’

He was angry, but continued to keep quiet. He couldn’t understand, they had met and he believed she understood the predicament, the development toward a solution, the tragedy of what happened, the needing to be rid.

*