Prologue: Fifteen Minutes

The words form so easily on his tongue and the lies fall just as easily from his lips. "I'll just be fifteen minutes, don't worry."

That's what he promises every time and she hates it. His smile is honest but his eyes can't lie the way his words do. She doesn't understand how she knows or what it is he's not telling her, but she knows he's lying. She doesn't want him to leave but she knows she can't force him to stay.

With a smile and wave, she says her own lie, not only to him but to herself.

From the second he leaves she watches the clock patiently, not able to bring herself to do anything other than that. Fourteen times the minute hand rounds the surface of the clock and as it approaches the fifteenth her chest tightens as an unknown fear takes hold of her heart.

But time after time, as soon as the fifteen minutes have passed, the lock releases, the door opens and he strolls back in with a large grin on his face - as if he'd been standing outside waiting for the exact moment to enter. "See? Fifteen minutes, just like I said."

She runs up to him and wraps her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. "Still too long," she sniffles as he holds her. Deep down she can't help but smile and feel stupid for ever doubting him. After all, he came back, he always does. It's just a fifteen minute walk after all.

But all the happiness in the world can't stop her checking him over, looking for the small changes in his appearance as they embrace. The colors of that silly tweed jacket of his are faded more so than when he left and the small jam stain from breakfast that morning mysteriously disappeared from the collar of his shirt.

And his eyes…

His eyes were no longer the vibrant green as before but instead seemed to have dulled slightly. He looked the same, but somehow older, and that's something that worried her to no end.

"John?" she asks hesitantly, pulling away from him and nervously biting her lip. "Are you sure there isn't something you want to tell me?"

There's silence... It lasts just a fraction of a moment but to them both it seems to drag on and on.

"Of course not," he answers confidently looking at her. "We promised no secrets, remember?"

Reluctantly, she nods and smiles, not entirely accepting his response, but not willing to push it further. "How about we go out for an early dinner?"

"That sounds wonderful," he smiles.

She leans up towards him and they share a quick kiss.