"You're in a good mood today."
Charlotte looked at Von.
"Sorry," Von said, raising her hands in a surrender position. "Don't mind me, I just work here," she added under her breath as she grabbed a bedpan and headed for the door.
Charlotte turned away, then back again.
"Von," she said. Von turned slowly towards her, still in the doorway.
"I'm sorry, you're right. I'm just ... Things aren't so good right now," Charlotte offered in explanation. Von moved into the room, putting the pan on the table.
"Really. We hadn't noticed."
Charlotte smiled, then sat. Looking up at Von, she said, "I'm being really immature about all this, aren't I?"
"No, I wouldn't say immature," Von said hesitantly, sitting across from her. "But ..."
"What?" Charlotte prompted.
"Oh, nothing. Never mind."
Charlotte paused a moment, then decided to see what Von had to offer.
"It's Vincent," she began. Von laughed to herself. "You knew that," Charlotte noted. "It was a shock, you know? Having him come back into my life again. I'd thought he was long gone. He's still in love with me."
"Oh," Von said, her tone one of realisation.
"What should I do?"
"About what?" Von asked. Charlotte looked puzzled. "Well, the problem isn't that he's in love with you, is it? It's that he doesn't approve. He's a man. They don't like being knocked down a peg, especially by a woman. You knocked him about as far as you can knock a man."
Charlotte nodded in understanding.
"Should I feel guilty for that?" she asked, a defensive tone creeping into her voice.
"Oh, no. Of course not. You can't pretend," Von said matter-of-factly.
The two sat in silence a few moments longer, before Von reached for the pan and left the room. When she was gone Charlotte dropped her head in her hands and let out a loud groan. Looking around the room aimlessly, she stood and walked out.
Charlotte looked at Von.
"Sorry," Von said, raising her hands in a surrender position. "Don't mind me, I just work here," she added under her breath as she grabbed a bedpan and headed for the door.
Charlotte turned away, then back again.
"Von," she said. Von turned slowly towards her, still in the doorway.
"I'm sorry, you're right. I'm just ... Things aren't so good right now," Charlotte offered in explanation. Von moved into the room, putting the pan on the table.
"Really. We hadn't noticed."
Charlotte smiled, then sat. Looking up at Von, she said, "I'm being really immature about all this, aren't I?"
"No, I wouldn't say immature," Von said hesitantly, sitting across from her. "But ..."
"What?" Charlotte prompted.
"Oh, nothing. Never mind."
Charlotte paused a moment, then decided to see what Von had to offer.
"It's Vincent," she began. Von laughed to herself. "You knew that," Charlotte noted. "It was a shock, you know? Having him come back into my life again. I'd thought he was long gone. He's still in love with me."
"Oh," Von said, her tone one of realisation.
"What should I do?"
"About what?" Von asked. Charlotte looked puzzled. "Well, the problem isn't that he's in love with you, is it? It's that he doesn't approve. He's a man. They don't like being knocked down a peg, especially by a woman. You knocked him about as far as you can knock a man."
Charlotte nodded in understanding.
"Should I feel guilty for that?" she asked, a defensive tone creeping into her voice.
"Oh, no. Of course not. You can't pretend," Von said matter-of-factly.
The two sat in silence a few moments longer, before Von reached for the pan and left the room. When she was gone Charlotte dropped her head in her hands and let out a loud groan. Looking around the room aimlessly, she stood and walked out.
