After sharing a hug, and a number of smiles, Catherine and David sat down together. A waitress passed by and left both of them coffee.
Catherine studied David with a puppy-dog stare. "I'm sorry to hear about your divorce," she said.
He eyed her a bit, then turned his head to the side. "I was hoping you'd have a different reaction," he revealed.
She leaned back a tad, looking a little surprised.
After pausing a moment, David murmured at the table. "Are you and Chloe still together?" he wondered.
She watched him closely, feeling taken aback. A bit of silence passed before she slowly replied. "It sounds like you really want the answer to be 'no.' "
David looked up, eyeing Catherine with warmth.
"She's...away right now," Catherine replied.
"What do you mean?" he curiously asked.
Catherine gazed down, looking into the cup. "She's left town to visit her family, people she hasn't seen since her mom put her out." Catherine lifted an eyebrow, glancing off for a second. "She's wound up staying with them a lot longer than planned."
David stared, watching her very closely. "And you're beginning to feel lonely. You're beginning to feel neglected." He glanced off himself. "All over again..."
Catherine held quiet, feeling awkward now.
"Catherine," he whispered, placing his hand over hers. "If...if nothing else..." He paused. "I really hope that the two of us can be friends again."
"We haven't stopped being friends."
"We just stopped being lovers." He nodded slowly. "The love went away."
"No it didn't," she countered. "Not entirely. I love Chloe. I truly do. But you know that a part of me will always cherish you too." She looked in his eyes, feeling an old warmth within. Then she took a deep breath, and tried her best not to blush.
David smiled, then retracted his hand. He paused to think about what she'd said. "On and on it goes. You love us...we love you. No matter what, it feels like each of us have a good deal of love within." David fell quiet again for a moment. "I think it might be that way for a while to come."