we kissed. we touched. we hugged. we whispered. suddenly we were grasping, greedy. desperately, furiously covering all the spaces and filling the holes at a party for two. one asked, "are you sure?" and the other answered, "oh yes." and so one discovered answers, yes and no, to questions long-unanswered; branded them into a retina with the touch of a light fingertip. the other discovered the taste of an old wonder and wished for more time to taste the rest until finished. there was a chance the police might get involved with the moon smiling so helpfully... but the shirts waved permission as they covered the underwear's eyes, and the breeze sauntered past unconcerned even while the darkness snickered its complicity. imagination was satisfied until it burst into life once more. a coat flew away with the evidence and the party ended, but even in the end there was born a new beginning.

and so we continued... we talked, we thought, we shared, we prodded each other to broader creativity. brightened eyes, swelling tissues, furious hearts, amazing new understandings. tidbits of knowledge kept imagination alive and working overtime to outdo one and another in the game, but even individual victory brought dual reward.

and then the game changed. he said, "my thoughts are the same. promise. it's difficult, but nothing has changed. promise. I'll be back with you soon. promise. give me a few days. promise. I feel the same. promise." and so I waited, game piece hovering uncertainly over unused spaces, wondering if I should roll the dice again before his return. passing time with inspection of past plays in an attempt to determine strategy.

somewhere, a dog barked. but even so, time went by and he wasn't there. everything changed. he never came back, certainly not soon. a few days followed one after the other after another into a bubbling, eternal meltdown of promising possibilities. I watched carefully so I wouldn't burn anything. the recipe card said 'simmer until done', but the finished picture wasn't attached and I never have been an overly confident cook.