The walk home took forever in the fading sunlight. Any possibility of her speaking fell away as she realised that this would be the last time they walked this path together. There was no longer anything to say in the face of that realisation. She felt each footstep like a heartbeat. Nothing lasts. Nothing lasts in this world, she thought, and yet it felt more real to her than anything she had experienced in her own.
At one point, Ichigo turned to look at her. Perhaps he sensed something unusual in her quiet. Then he did a rare thing. He smiled at her. Bright and brief. "Cheer up," he said, and touched one finger to the centre of her forehead, poking her. Then he chuckled at her expression and kept walking.