She watched the snow fall softly to the ground. It sparkled with a cold beauty on the streets below her. She wiped away a small tear which had someone escaped and closed her eyes, breathing deeply, to ward off any others. I will not cry, she repeated over and over in her head. She could not help but look at the letter again. It was so impersonal and cold. She had never expected to receive something like this from her own flesh and blood. But there it was. All those years she had been pushing everyone away, deep down she secretly was glad that her efforts had not worked with this one. That at least one person loved her, no matter what she did to them, how she treated them, that she could always run back to them if she ever wanted to. And now even that person was closing the door between them. She should be happy; she had successfully severed ties with anyone from her past, anyone with whom she had ever shared a part of her true self. She thought that it was what she wanted, but low and behold, the tears would not be stopped; truth be told she felt the need to cry.

She was supposed to have been at his place hours ago. He was worried that something had happened to her; she was not answering the phone at her place. He decided to go over there and make sure everything was alright. He knocked on her door and after several times the door was answered. She looked awful. She was wrapped in a blanket and there were tear stains on her cheeks. Her eyes were all red and puffy and were completely devoid of life. She smelt of alcohol as well. She did not say anything, simply turned around and walked to her bedroom where she took up her old spot on the bay window seat. He sat on the bed, watched as she poured herself another glass of scotch and down it. He looked around, trying to find some explanation of her behaviour and he saw a letter on the bedside table. He leaned over and read parts of it and it dawned on him what had happened. He was about t say something when:

"You and I are two of a kind you know. I don't know anybody who are better at using people and then tossing them aside. Who are better at pushing people away and out of their lives. I don't know two people who are more alone." With that she poured herself another drink. This time he took the glass from her and emptied it himself.

"We've got each other," he said then chuckled "as fucked up as that may be." He reached over and took the bottle from her, taking a drink straight from the bottle. She drank the fresh glass she had poured for herself.

"Now there's a comforting thought." She said. "of course after the way we both have treated people we probably deserve each other." She laughed harshly.

"probably." He said

"Is it really pathetic that this is the most meaningful conversation I've had in more than five years?" she asked him.

"To me or to the general population?" he asked

"Both." she answered.

"To most yes it would be pathetic. To me, well who am I to talk. We're in the same place you and I. Alone because we choose to be, and yet lonely at the same time. We're just two big contradictions."

She sniffed and wiped her face dry of her tears. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit on. She took a drag offering the pack to him. He took one and leaned forward to light it on the lighter she held. He took a drag and exhaled slowly, making smoke-rings. He moved over to sit next to her on the window seat. The window was slightly open and so a cold breeze wafted in, mixing with the smoke from their cigarettes. Neither was up for sex that night. Sharing the silence was as much as either could do; sharing their bodies after they had exposed themselves so much was just more than they could handle. At around dawn the darkness in the room was broken by the rising sun; he opened his eyes, realizing they had fallen asleep. He looked over at her and saw she was still sleeping, he face serene and beautiful, a smile on her lips. s. She looked almost happy; he had not seen her look happy in years. She stirred, but did not wake up. Gently, he picked her up and put her in her bed, lying down next to her.

They woke up several hours later wrapped in each others arms. Neither said anything about the night before and she quietly walked him to the door. He leaned in and kissed her before he could stop himself. She kissed him back for a second before pulling back.

"Good-bye" and she closed the door.