A Ruling Passion – Chapter 1877

Cynthia felt as though her heart was going to leap out of her throat right there and then, but she channeled that panic into a frantic shove instead. “Okay, okay! You deal with the pie yourself while I... I... uh, I’ll check and see if the flowers need watering!”

A shadow of unnoticeable emotion briefly crossed Aristotle’s eyes. “All right,” he replied. “Say, Cindy... You’ve grown, haven’t you? Taller. Older.”

Cynthia, failing to ponder more deeply about his remark, replied without sparing him a look, “I mean, duh? How many years has it been? You got a growth spurt yourself, you know. And now I can’t even reach your face anymore... Anyway, e-enough chit-chat! Go enjoy yourself!”

She escaped to the yard and finally let out the breath she had been holding.

She supposed folk wisdom was right: the nature of a relationship changes when people are separated from one another for too long. Even a bond that started out as inseparable could devolve into people playing out self-restraining courtesies with one another, their previous intimacy long gone. Two people who might once enjoy uninhibited teasing and ribbings could also regress into clinging to a facade of decorum after a few years of separation.