Author's Note: Thanks so much again for the reviews, guys, I really appreciate it! Here's a little chapter to tide you over till the next one. I hope you enjoy it!
It had been two years since Griet and I shared that passionate kiss in the alley way behind the pub. I would pass her in the street on my way to the inn every now and then, but she would always hide her face from me. I purposely brushed against her a few times, and I could feel her look back at me, but I dared not to look back at her. I passed on like I hadn't noticed, like she was a stranger to me. She had no idea how much I was hurting inside.
Sometimes on my way home from the inn, I would stop in Market Town and hide myself in the shadows so that I could admire Griet at work in her butcher stall. She always looked so radient with the evening sun gleaming down on her, wiping the sweat from her brow and rythmically chopping at raw meat. As time went on, she no longer shared so many smiles with her husband, and never again did she kiss him in public. I suppose the newness of their marriage had worn off, and now they were just trying to survive.
After that kiss with Griet, I was finally able to get back in the studio. My escape from the pain was to paint. The fact that her memory lingered most in the studio was almost a comfort. A piece of her still existed with me whenever I painted. I could see her standing next to me admiring my work. I could hear her voice innocently asking about my reasons for putting something into the picture. I could feel her next to me as I mixed the colors. She was always with me.
