At the back of your mind, you always thought it would be you and Donna in the end. You just thought you had all the time in the world.
The way she smiles at you and fixes your tie, the way she reads you and knows just what to do, the way she moves across the room and commands attention—these are things you can't live without. You need her charm, wit and laughter. You need her. And she knows that you do because you've never been shy about admitting it.
But over the past year, you've realized how frighteningly little she needed you. She could leave you with her head held high and you would always want her back, utterly destroyed without her in your life and ready to forgive whatever she did. And when she did come back, it was as if she was determined to back away from the line you've both skirted around for years. No more lingering smiles and looks. No more late nights with her legs propped up on your table, wine glass in her hand. You know that you have no right to feel hurt, but it doesn't sting any less when you realize she's given up on you.
She carried the load for the both of you for more than a decade. And now it's your turn.