Cane and Yvette walked side by side. The darkness is illuminated by more festive light surrounding the stores and buildings. Warm lights began to hit her, almost causing a halo to form around her, her image enhanced by the tiniest things. Somehow it was both fascinating and infuriating to see her interact with the world. He stole glances as their hands were just inches away from touching. His finger twitched, getting closer and closer, but she sneezed, her hand swiftly covering her mouth, "Oh, excuse me". She quickly pulled a tissue and wiped her nose. She doused her hand in hand sanitizer and kept on walking.

      Cane wanted to break the silence. He seemed to never be able to form proper words for her as he did for others, but she spoke before he could gather his words. " Thank you, Cane. Even though this was meant for you, I feel like I was the one who got a lot more today". He smiled, "No, thanks to you I was able to get out of my slump. I've been feeling down recently, and I've been trying to get out more. So, thank you". 

     Yvette looked concerned, "What seems to be bothering you?", as Yvette said this without thinking, she retracted. "Oh I didn't mean to overstep, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to", she felt embarrassed. Asking about other people's troubles all the while being a stranger, she felt rude and inconsiderate.

      Cane's smile was still visible, but his eyes were somber as he spoke, " No no, it's okay. Maybe, getting an outsider's opinion can settle something for me. Do you mind hearing me out?", his eyes were soft, almost pleading for more of her time. She could only give that polite smile, "Of course".

     They sat on a bench near the parking lot as he began to spew, "I don't want to linger on many things since I feel like a broken record, but this is very important to me. I had someone that I cared for very much, and I proposed to her. However, when we were living together she began to act strange. I then found her things gone and a note saying she found someone else. She even left me screenshots of text and letters of her saying she wanted to travel with him and not stay stagnant like she did with me. But, I wanna say, within the week, she came back. Turns out her other man didn't want to be with her and said he never planned to leave leaving her destitute due to selling all her things and quitting her job. She asked me if she could come back and I was still very much in love with her, so I said yes. But I don't think she was really over her dream man. She fell deeper and deeper into depression and passed away a little over a year ago," Cane buried his face into his hands and sighed as if trying to collect himself. He continued. "Damien then found out about everything and told me to forget about her. He tried to get me out of the house and even tried to set me up with others. I told him a while back that it didn't feel right to move on. But, it was difficult just to leave it all behind without looking at all the good times that we shared too. She did hurt me, but in the end, I still cared for her. Is that so bad?". 

     They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity. "Damn it, maybe I shouldn't have said all that at once. Shit, think of something", he thought as he regretted his little game. But, amid that awkwardness, he felt a warm sensation on his arm. He looked at her, and without judgment, she spoke, "Well, I guess everything can become quite complex. Of course, Damien would feel a certain way after his friend was betrayed. But, it is difficult to forget someone you were with for so long, well long enough to be a fiance. Everyone moves at a different pace. Damien wants you to move on, maybe because he doesn't want to see his friend in pain. He can only see all the bad things that have occurred because of your dearly departed partner. But, I guess he never saw how happy she made you when you were together. It's not bad to miss someone you shared a life with."

      She saw as Cane's eyes widened and he quickly looked away. He was shaking and hiding his face like he was crying. Yvette panicked but was quickly comforted by his words, "Thank you". She pulled another tissue from her bag and handed it to him. He took it and gently wiped his eye, his tears still visible. She stayed next to him until he calmed down.

     He walked her to her car and waved goodbye as she drove off. As her car was no longer in sight he pulled out his phone and typed down her license place so he wouldn't forget. Can smirked as he thought about how adorable she was. It's like she came out of a book where nothing bad happens. He still can't believe she acts that way after getting beaten down by the person her boyfriend cheated on her with. But he didn't fully dislike it. Yet, he wanted to see how she acted when she broke down, what would she look like engulfed in anger. As he thought about it he placed his hand where she touched him. Somehow he could still feel the warmth. The weight of her hand and the shape of her fingers were still there for him to remember. His mind raced and he began to laugh again. He couldn't believe it, did she really believe he was crying? He just couldn't suppress his laughter anymore. What would she think if he told her, the reason he never moved on was due to trying to find her? What a ridiculous thought that could never be said out loud.

  

     Cane arrived home and collapsed on his bed. He looked at his bedside and on the table he saw the ring he gave to his dearly departed. he still remembered the day he gave her the ring. He remembered his first thought when he saw her, she was a beautiful woman, unpredictable and free, and he wanted to clip those wings as soon as he could. Cane believed she would let him, she gave him promises full of love and said she would do anything for him, but in the end, that was a lie. She kept fighting back, trying to get away, making him feel like he was in the wrong. He still couldn't understand why she acted the way she did. He was honest and upfront about what he wanted. Was that not enough? He then remembered the day she left and the hole that began to form in his chest. For that week, he couldn't think, he couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep. Then, she came back. But...he felt the same as before and she was planning to leave again. Cane began to ask himself, would she be happy if she stayed, would she be happy if she understood her mistake, and would that make him feel happy? So. for the days that she was there, he filled her head with thoughts she thought were her own: everyone knows you cheated, your family wanted to see you married to a nice stable man and you blew it, you threw away your possessions and our job for a man who never wanted you, everyone keeps looking at you and judging you, how could you hurt him, even his friends know and they hate you, who could ever want you. Self-doubt and paranoia crept in and filled her head with insecurities. Everyone seemed to have turned on her, she could feel the stares, eyes judging her at each corner. Ideas of looking for a job and leaving the place she tried so hard to escape, vanished. She no longer had anywhere to go. He saw as she began to waste away and at that moment he felt as if the hole in his body was beginning to close. He felt what he assumed was happiness as she fell deeper into an inescapable depression.  Then as he left to run errands, he looked at her, set a bottle in her sight, and left. When he came home, he felt as if his wound would never reopen as he saw her there. Finally, she would never leave him again.

      Cane came back to the present and as he replayed those memories, he felt bored. He felt like her face was slowly slipping away and he didn't care much for her now. he wanted to move on and felt it was the right time, Cane felt his dearly departed finance would have wanted it that way.