She could describe herself in a word: independent. She prided herself on needing nobody, on knowing that if necessary, she could be by herself and survive just fine. She hated getting sick not so much for the discomfort but for how she had to go into town and buy medicine she couldn't make herself. When she went to the animal store to admire the horses, she chatted in a friendly way but knew that she did not need the interaction.
He always made sure to speak to her, almost like he was worried she would be alone. She thought it was silly of him, but maybe he was a little of a silly person: he was eternally cheerful, unaware of his own bulk and so prone to accidents. She would laugh, not maliciously, when he would slam a door on accident and his face would light with astonished sheepishness. He cared for the animals like they were children who needed him; she admired his careful caretaking, and she admired his smile.
One day she realized that she had been to visit him every day for a month. She sat on the fence, legs kicking slowly, watching him let the animals out to pasture, and wondered why she was still here.
He turned to smile at her, and with a gasp she found she was dependent on him, now.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
This is a good couple; I can just picture the guy as a very gentlemanly but goofy boyfriend. It's Bob and Gwen from Save the Homeland and Magical Melody!