[ Ai knows the sound of that kind of hurt. It's the hurt that comes with wanting something so badly that it shames you both for the intensity of the want and for how pathetically small and simple it is.

Neither of them have ever really asked for much, she thinks. Not anything unreasonable. But somehow, that just makes it worse, doesn't it? ]

Sorry. But you have to look it right in the eye.

[ She sinks to her knees in the damp, dewy grass and just as she had once before, she carefully sets an arm around his shoulder for a gentle hug. ]

If you pretend it's not there at all then it's just going to eat you up until you can't stand it anymore.