From: luthiekins	Date: 05/30/2007 08:12:11

*comes back from her (sort of) honeymoon*

*wonders if you noticed her absence at all or that half her clothes are missing from the closet*

*comes to your office after a bit of nervous pacing*

Hi Daddy.

	From: sindacollo	Date: 05/30/2007 08:21:43

*breathes*

Where have you been? If it wasn't for those classes in Delegation and Self-restraint and your mother constantly harping on me about my blood pressure, I'd've sent out search parties a week ago!

	From: luthiekins	Date: 05/30/2007 08:25:46

I've been... around? For a few hours of sleep in the morning and sometimes even to bathe at night. I'm sorry I worried you.

*takes a deep breath* There's something I need to talk to you about.

	From: sindacollo	Date: 05/30/2007 08:29:15

I'm sorry I worried you.

Actually? I don't think I buy that anymore. On any level.

*sits on the edge of his desk and crosses his arms to show you how he's not falling for those big eyes of yours* *tonelessly* What's the problem now?

	From: luthiekins	Date: 05/30/2007 08:33:05

*realizes too that something has changed between you and can't help being saddened by it even though it's probably her fault*

*blankly* I just wanted to let you know I was married last week yesterday. I didn't invite you because I didn't think you would come without armed guards.

	From: sindacollo	Date: 05/30/2007 08:35:16

You—





What?

	From: luthiekins	Date: 05/30/2007 08:40:30

*calmly* I was married. I am married.

	From: sindacollo	Date: 05/30/2007 08:45:04

*simply cannot wrap his mind around this*

*hears himself almost saying a thousand different varieties of "how could you"s and "what were you thinking"s and "how could you"s but can't quite grasp any of them to speak over the sound of his heart breaking*

*just stares at you emptily, a picture of hurt*

	From: luthiekins	Date: 05/30/2007 08:48:09

*was expecting shouting*
*was expecting threats*
*was possibly even expecting to be locked up in a treehouse*
*wasn't really expecting that horrible look on your face*

Daddy, say something...

	From: sindacollo	Date: 05/30/2007 08:53:58

*knows, just knows, without the slightest bit of doubt, without having to ask*

Daddy

*presses both hands to his chest and takes them away again slowly, staring at his palms*

*his voice sounding hollow and completely foreign to his ears* What would you have me say?

	From: luthiekins	Date: 05/30/2007 08:57:42

*feels tears prickling in her eyes*

*helplessly* If you can't be happy for me you could at least yell at me.

	From: sindacollo	Date: 05/30/2007 09:03:51

*speaks more because he thinks he should than because he actually has anything he wants to say*

*barely above a whisper* I don't see you anymore. *pauses, thinking those words aren't exactly what he expected to hear* Not in my city, not anywhere else in my realm, not at all. Just get your things and go. Please.

	From: luthiekins	Date: 05/30/2007 09:08:06

*wasn't expecting to hear that*

*wonders if you could really possibly mean what you are saying*

If that's what you really want.

*stands in place for a few moments hoping you'll say something else or take it back or anything*

	From: sindacollo	Date: 05/30/2007 09:12:41

*walks around his desk and sits down heavily in his chair, half expecting it to swallow him*

*does nothing but look right through you, blankly*

	From: luthiekins	Date: 05/30/2007 09:14:31

*stands for a few moments longer, blinking back tears*

*turns around and walks out*

	From: sindacollo	Date: 05/30/2007 09:18:04

*very calmly reaches for the topmost folder in his inbox*

*opens it and stares at the contents of the first page for fifteen minutes without reading a single word*

*finds the appropriate line and scrawls his signature*

*spends another fifteen minutes thinking about nothing before reaching for the next item*