"So, have you calmed down after yesterday then?" Joan commented as he came through the door.

"Aunty Joan! You're supposed to keep off your foot if you want it to heal properly!".

"Are you going to come and feed the chickens and the livestock then? No, thought not!"

Martin huffed at this, and directed her to sit down. He began changing the dressing and he could feel Joan's gaze on him.

"So how are you really, Marty?"

He looked up quickly at this, mumbling "Fine".

Sighing, Joan continued on. "Martin, I've known you since you were a baby. You've always been awful at lying. You practically bit my head off yesterday and today you look like I've confiscated your favourite toy. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, everything's fine".

"So things are peachy then, between you and Louisa?"

At this he hesitated, almost as if he couldn't decide whether he wanted to talk or not. Seeing him like this always broke her heart. He really was such a sensitive soul behind the gruff exterior. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, and he paused his wrapping of her ankle.

"Martin, why don't you tell me what's happened…"

Looking up at her, Joan could see the torment in his eyes. "Please. I want to help."

Martin's shoulders sagged at this, and Joan almost thought he looked like a lost little boy. He finished wrapping her foot, stood and gathered the soiled rags to put in the bin, before walking back to sit on the chair opposite her.

"I...ahhh…. well I… ruined everything"

"Oh Marty, I'm sure it's not that bad. What happened?"

"Things were going so well, and then this stupid town made it their business to interfere. And now I don't know where we're at…. They just kept coming in asking me about where I'd been, and what we'd done, and… I was frustrated that the townspeople were trying to find out what happened between us and I yelled at her and she left…. Now she's probably wishing that we'd never even gone out. I've ruined it again."

He hung his head in his hands, and Joan resisted the impulse to tear strips off him, knowing that he'd clam up and leave. By the looks of it though there wasn't a need, he was already berating himself enough about it. She could just picture it, Martin annoyed about the villagers trying to get information from him, and Louisa, fiercely loyal to the town and the people in it, would have fought back.

"Well, did she say it was over between you when she left?" Martin looked up at this.

"What?"

"Did Louisa actually tell you that it was over, when she left?"

"Well no, but she looked so mad, she probably doesn't want to see me again"

"Oh Martin... Couples fight! It doesn't automatically mean things are over between you both."

"…"

"And honestly Martin. One fight and you're ready to give up?! Don't you want to be with her?"

Martin looked offended at this, standing up and pacing.

"Yes of course I do, but every time we get together I ruin it. What's the point..."

"The point?! You mean besides sharing your life with someone you love? Martin, your Uncle Phil and I didn't see eye to eye all the time, or even very often, but I wouldn't give up those years we spent together for a Kings Fortune!"

With a sigh, Martin sat down again in front of her. "It's not the same Aunty Joan"

"You're right, it's not the same. We didn't scurry away with our tails between our legs every time we hit a bump in the road"

"I am not scurrying away with my tail between my legs!"

"Ha! And what would you call it then?"

Martin stood up in frustration at this and glared at her, and Joan could see that she'd ignited his anger. Good. She thought. About time you got a bit of fight into you!

"Look… Martin. Did you do any research on this, like I suggested" He looked embarrassed at this, and walked over to the sink to wash his hands.

"Ah… yes… I did…"

"Did any of it cover conflict?"

Martin sighed at this, thinking back over what he'd read a few weeks ago.

"Yes.. Umm… One article said that we should practice empathy by putting ourselves in each others shoes. We should take note about things that upset our partner, and make boundaries so conflict doesn't arise in the future."

"Right, so what upset Louisa when you yelled at her?"

"Well… I'm sure she didn't like it that I was yelling… and I was talking about how idiotic the townspeople were, which they are! But she said they were her friends, and she lives here too."

"Ok, so if you were to take the advice from that article, what would you do?"

"Well... I suppose that I shouldn't tell her how moronic I find the people in this village?"

"Right. That doesn't sound too hard, now does it Martin?"

"Oh, well, no I suppose not…"

"And what else does this research say about resolving conflict?"

"Um… well that communication is key. That I need to talk to her and tell her about my feelings and tell her what's on my mind?"

"So, what are you waiting for?"

"Well I... I mean… it's not that easy… …. What if she doesn't want…"

"Go to her Martin, talk to her. Apologise. If you love her and want to be with her, find a way to make it right."

"Oh… Right.… yes… Ok…"

Martin stood and made his way to the door.

"Oh and Martin" He turned to look at her.

"Flowers always help"