CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Marina ran to the stairs in front of the canteen door. She wanted to sit there and allow tears to fall freely, but she thought it better not to, otherwise she took the risk of not being able to the end them. In a bold stance, she went inside the canteen, grabbed a tray and served herself. She sat at a table and tried to focus only in what she was doing. She repeated within her the steps she had to follow: ‘bring the spoon to the soup bowl, fill it with soup, bring the spoon to my mouth, pour the soup in my mouth, close my mouth, swallow’. It was ridiculous, but it occupied her thoughts and prevented her from thinking about Lucas. If she did so, she’d want to go back and unsay what was said. For Christ's sake, she grumbled inside. He had only been hers for a single day, it wasn’t supposed to be that hard to be without him. Still, it hurt like Hell.
Half an hour later, she finished the meal. She followed in ‘autopilot mode’ to the most recent part of the school. It seemed that, somehow, life had nothing else to offer her – existence had lost its appeal. She stared at the sky: the extensive mass of gray clouds threatened to give way to a flood as soon as the wind ceased. She lowered her eyes and noticed that Ana was waiting at the usual cement bench. Marina looked at her phone display and discovered that the first lunch hour wasn’t over. How awkward… Ana hadn’t had the time to go out with her boyfriend and to return so soon. What was she doing there? Without explanation, seeing her long-time friend made her even sadder, maybe for not being able to tell her what was going on. She didn’t want Barbatos to chase Ana just for knowing about his existence; it was better to keep her in ignorance. To Ana, that would be just another case of a broken heart. Thinking about what she had just lost made the tears come back. Ana noticed that she was weeping and welcomed her with open arms.
In between sobs, Marina questioned, “D-didn’t you go to have lunch with Dennis?”
Ana shook her head and replied, “Of course not. Who better than me to recognize a broken heart, huh? I’d never have lunch outside knowing that my friend was so down.”
“But I told you I was okay, that you could go.”
“Yeah, but I also know that when we’re like that, we want to look strong when everything within us is collapsing.”
Marina wiped away the tears with a tissue, blew her nose, and lay down on Ana’s lap. After swallowing a moan, she quizzed, “Do I look that bad?”
Ana pretended to be thoughtful. Hello! She just had to look at herself; she practically had a card hanging from her neck saying ‘bad due to love issues’. She guessed she hadn’t looked herself in the mirror that day… “Do you really want me to reply?” asked Ana. “I can tell by miles that you're not yourself today. First of all, you never got sick because of the food. Second, you missed two classes, which is a violation of your sacred principles. Third, you cry like hell; and fourth, your dark circles are the size of the world. Actually, you should have a cup of coffee before next class. Or two!”
Marina nodded. Drinking a coffee was a good idea, even because she didn’t want to miss classes again for being sleepy. A bar of chocolate appeared in her peripheral vision, making her jump up in place.
“Go ahead, take a bit,” offered Ana. “It's my personal remedy for heart problems. It cheers me up right away. And don’t say I don’t teach you anything!”
Marina thought about explaining that chocolate had properties that actually caused the cheerful feeling, nevertheless she chose to let Ana take credit for the theory. She grabbed the bar, broke two squares and put one in her mouth. She tried to return the rest to her friend, but she told her to keep it, since she needed it more than her.
“You’re not going to tell me what happened, are you? I know it is related to the big bad wolf that wanted to devour you. And he ate your heart, didn’t he?”
Marina breathed out a sigh. Ana was there for her, she had excused the boyfriend for this purpose, and had even brought her favorite balm for the soul. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but she couldn’t tell her everything. She swallowed the last square of chocolate and tried to synthesize what had happened, “Yes, it’s related to him. We got closer and I found out that he’s quite different than he appears to be. We got along, there was chemistry between us. Things progressed and, for a short time, I was happy.”
“I believe you,” stated Ana as she waved her head. “I remember you yesterday looking like you were at ‘The Happiness Farm’. That even made some people jealous. You reminded me of one of those cartoons that have an annoying smile glued to its face all the time.”
“Don’t exaggerate,” protested Marina. “The important thing is, I discovered that he had lied to me about a major point, and it shook the confidence I had in him.”
Ana remained in silence, thinking for a few moments. She ended up saying, “It must have been a very serious lie, to make you give up on him... I plead guilty - I didn’t give a penny for him. But after having seen him helping you in the canoeing class, and seeing you yesterday as if you had won the lottery, I changed my mind. I only regret that he disappointed you so much in so little time.”
Marina shrugged in defeat, stared at the heavy firmament and shut up.
Ana respected her decision and didn’t ask her any other questions. She knew what it was to lose trust in someone she liked. She'd had a boyfriend who cheated on her. Maybe Lucas was a womanizer like that scoundrel. If so, it was better not to talk about that issue, because being betrayed was horrible.
All of a sudden, Ana’s eyes locked in the fence surrounding the school and the people passing by; Joshua was among them. In a hurry, she said to Marina, “The issue related to that evil guy is over. Joshua is coming and we won’t talk about this, okay? If Lucas hurt you, let it go, because it would also hurt Joshua. You know he likes you a lot, don’t you? Look, who knows whether the best remedy for a broken heart is a new love?”
Marina wanted to protest, to say that feelings didn't disappear from one moment to another; nevertheless, she gave up when she noticed that Joshua was near them. He seemed to be in good spirits and it was better not blow it.
“Hello! I’m here, so you can swap places with me, Ana. Dennis is waiting for you in the lobby, for you to get something to eat,” Joshua announced.
Marina straightened on the bench so that Ana would get up and Joshua took her place. Once seated, he motioned for Marina to lie on his lap. It felt very good to spread out there, so she did what he proposed. Ana winked her eye and turned away to go to Dennis.
When Ana distanced herself, Joshua inquired, “How are you?”
“Better,” assured Marina. “I'm not sleepy and my stomach seems to have settled down. Soon I'll go and have some coffee as Ana has suggested.”
Joshua agreed. She should have drunk a cup of coffee after the first class, that way she wouldn’t have been absent. If she ever spoke to him of insomnia again, he’d give her two or three coffees to avoid her from being sleepy during the day.
He began to fondle her hair. It was good, thus Marina decided to allow herself to relax. She closed her eyes and let go, while her soul eased and tried to paste all the pieces in which it had been broken. She knew, however, that it was impossible to do that, because Lucas had taken a huge part of her. What would become of her now that she had experienced the sweet taste of passion and lost it? She could foresee a complex labyrinth ahead.
The mellow and serene voice of Joshua in her ear made her unseal her eyelids. Marina found him laughing. She blinked and rubbed her eyes to get used to the afternoon clarity. She sat on the bench and stretched.
“So, you weren’t sleepy, huh? It seems that the Sandman paid you an extra visit,” joked Joshua.
Not understanding exactly what he meant by that, Marina took her phone and gazed at the display. It was almost time for the bell, which meant that she had fallen asleep. At least, it hadn’t happened during a lesson. She scratched her forehead, ashamed, and whispered, “I was so relaxed that I entered into a lethargic state and look... it happened! I better go drink th
at coffee now, don’t you think so?”
“Sure, let’s go.”
There were only three people in front of her in the queue, thus Marina didn’t take long to be served. They sat at an empty table and she drank her coffee with ease. She felt much better. Although she continued to be bitter about what had happened with Lucas, she thought that the worst was over. It would be very hard to see him every day and knowing that, although she wanted him, she couldn’t have him. Still, she had a plan: she’d return to her original goal of fighting for good grades, to get somewhere in the future.
Ana and Dennis arrived shortly after and Marina took the opportunity to observe them closely: they seemed happy and there was no evidence that the relationship’s end was imminent. Maybe it would last. Perhaps Joshua was right when he had told her that she should have given him an opportunity. She could be with Joshua at that time and be as joyful as her friend. Life was about choices and she had made hers; now she had to withstand the consequences.
The bell protested loudly and called students back into classrooms. The four rose from the table, upset with the call. While the couple stood behind to pay a more private farewell, Marina and Joshua went to her locker and headed to the classroom. They didn’t have to wait long, since the French teacher hadn’t a habit of showing up late. Marina sat in place, her eyes on the door – she was expecting Lucas. It skimmed masochism, but she wanted to see how he was reacting to everything. Would he be as bad as she, or would he have pulled himself together at a glance, passing a certificate of lie to what happened between them? The resonance of the late bell dictated the end of her hope. Lucas didn’t appear and he certainly wouldn’t come to other classes that day. Maybe it was better that way.
The teacher insisted once more on the ‘Subjonctif’ tense, given that the written test was the following week. Marina went open-mouthed when the professor mentioned it. She was so unfocused that she had forgotten about any tests. Just in case, she asked Ana if they had any tests the next day, but she answered that she didn’t remember. What did Marina expect? Usually, she was the one who reminded her when she had to study and not the other way around. At the recess, Joshua reminded them that the tests scheduled for next week were of French and Geography. Marina wrote down the dates in a notebook, while Ana remitted that information to the mental department entitled ‘Marina-Will-Remind-Me-Of-This-Later’.
When they left school at the end of the day, Ana found her mother waiting for her; she said farewell and got into the Jeep. So much for the company to go to the store to buy a St. Bartholomew medal... The truth was that neither had spoken to her about it, so the blame was not hers. Maybe Joshua would go with her.
When they were approaching the stairs they would go down towards their homes, Marina told him, “I’m not going that way. I have to pass by a shop a little further ahead to buy something. I won’t take long. You can come with me if you want, but if you don’t feel like it, I understand.”
“It's okay, I'll go with you,” volunteered the boy. “I have nothing else to do either.”
They walked in silence to the shop. When they got there, they got in. While Joshua got lost viewing the various products for sale with curiosity, Marina walked to the small counter. Once again she was received by the woman who had made her the bracelet. Seeing her, the clerk nodded her head in recognition. She rested her elbows on the counter, locking her fingers in front of her, and said, “Good-afternoon, miss. Back, huh? Come to look for something stronger?”
“Maybe. I wanted a small medal of St. Bartholomew to add to my bracelet.”
The woman acquiesced and disappeared into the tiny box room. When she returned, she brought along a box in shades of orange. She placed it carefully on the glass surface of the counter, opened the lid, and devoted herself to search for the medal she wanted. Joshua withdrew to the outside meanwhile, since the fact of the building being so petite made him feel a little claustrophobic.
An "aha!" indicated to Marina that the employee had found the right medal. The woman made a sign for her to take off the bracelet and hand it to her. She inspected the object carefully, studying where the new accessory could be incorporated, but ended up shaking her head. “You can’t add the medal, except on the bracelet lock. Let's try it. Bring your wrist closer.”
Marina stretched her arm and the woman put the bracelet around her wrist. Before closing the clasp, she put the ring of the medal through it and released the lock. The girl pulled her arm back and observed the combination of the two objects to make sure that she wouldn’t lose the image easily. It didn’t seem like it would fall just like that; she just had to take extra care when removing the bracelet.
The employee sighed, drawing her attention. Embarrassed for having ignored her for a while, Marina asked, “How much is it?”
The clerk indicated the price and Marina took a note from her wallet to pay.
Before saying goodbye, the clerk commented, “It seems that you’re involved with very serious stuff. I wish you only good luck and that everything goes well for you.”
“Thank you,” appreciated Marina while heading to the street.
She found Joshua perched on the wall in front of the store, waiting for her. Watching her cross the jamb, he jumped the bulwarks and went to her. “Are you ready?” he quizzed with his legendary smile printed on his face.
“Yes, we can go.”
“And aren’t you going to tell me what you bought?”
Marina lifted the bracelet up to his eyes and showed him the medal. She waited for him to ask the meaning of it, but he only commented that it was cute and matched the wrist-let.
It was time to go home, but Joshua’s plans were different from Marina’s. Shyly, he folded his arms behind his head and, in a restrained and cautious tone, said, “I was thinking... I know you probably want to be alone, but I believe that my company would do you some good, so I have a suggestion for you.”
Marina signaled him to continue. He was right, she wanted to be alone, yet he was even more right when he said that his company would be an asset. She shouldn’t get isolated, that would only depress her more.
“What do you think of us going to my house, making some pancakes and then do homework? I mean, I’ll do the Philosophy’s while you copy Ana’s notes. If you want, I can even explain things better to you. After that, we can study for next week’s tests. How does that sound to you?”
Excellent! She needed a program closer to normal as possible, and spending the afternoon studying was once usual for her. That year, she was having some difficulty getting into the work rhythm, but everything had happened to her, from accidents to finding love, not to mention the persecution of Barbatos. By chance, he still hadn’t visited her that day. She hoped that it would continue like that – she would rather swallow glass than see him.
Noting that Joshua was still awaiting a response, Marina affirmed, “It seems very good to me. I've been too distracted and I need to recover. A good study session is just what I need.”
Joshua chuckled. He would rather go for a walk or eat out with her. Study wasn’t the best program and he definitely was no nerd. He only studied for tests the day before and it was enough, after all he had excellent grades. Anyway, if the program was ideal for her, it would also be for him.
“We can go down by this road here,” suggested Marina.
“Really? I haven't walked through this area yet and it’s your fault, because you still haven't given me the second tour,” he alleged, kidding.
“I know, but don’t worry. Soon we’ll work that out. Let’s go then?”
To his OK, they turned right at the next intersection and went down. A little further ahead it was familiar ground, so Joshua led the rest of the way.
They didn’t take long to get to his house. They opened the door and found Dennis lying on the couch watching television, wearing only shorts and a t-shirt. Seeing him like that sent a chill up Marina’s spine, as she thought that it was too cold to be dressed like that. A twing
e of sadness ran through her when she recalled that, just a few days ago, she had slept with a short nightgown, typical for summer... with Lucas at her side.
Dennis only learnt that he wasn’t alone when his brother threw his backpack at him, making him protest vehemently. “Hey, man! Knock it off!”
“You wished! We’re going to make pancakes. Do you want some too?”
Dennis promptly jumped from the couch, showing that he didn’t mind having some.
Joshua asked, “Sit down, Marina. Today, the men of the house are going to cook.”
His younger brother tried to disagree with the information, but was surprised by the cookbook that Joshua shot at him. It would have hit him on his forehead if he hadn’t such good reflexes.
Marina sat at the table. That should be interesting, though having two men in the kitchen didn’t inspire her much trust.
Dennis made her jump when he let the cookbook drop down with a bang in front of her. “Come on, do something! Read the recipe,” he ordered.
She looked at the book. She read it first to herself and felt reticent. Maybe she should do that and not them. Had they cooked anything before in their lives? Reluctant, she asked, “Uh, guys… are you sure you want to do this? I can cook.”
“No way,” rejected Dennis. “Besides, Joshua is a great cook. You should try his Italian pasta. Very tasty! And don’t forget that he has the best assistant of all time - me!”
Marina would never have suspected of such culinary gifts, but the idea pleased her. Joshua, in the words of his brother, was an awesome chef. It wasn’t the most impartial review, but what mattered was that the kitchen wasn’t unknown territory to him.
Responding to the challenge launched by Dennis, Marina read the recipe aloud, "150gr flour, a teaspoon of baking powder, 50gr of margarine, 50gr of sugar, 200ml milk, two eggs and half teaspoon of salt."
The reading obeyed to several pauses, giving the boys time to make the respective measurements and weights.
While Dennis mixed everything, Joshua crouched to rummage in one of the cupboards. When he turned to stand up, he carried a small black-painted machine. Upon seeing her curious air, he explained, “It's the machine my mom uses to make waffles, but the pancakes can have the same shape, right?”
Marina smiled and lifted her shoulders up and down. The shape of the pancakes didn’t seem important.
Dennis was in charge of pouring the mixture from the bowl to the pancake machine, while Joshua assumed command of the stove to melt the chocolate. Marina couldn’t help but to marvel as she saw him putting a pot on the ceramic hob. Maybe Dennis was right… she just had to wait for the outcome.
The prepared mix yielded six pancakes, two to each. Joshua took three dishes out of the closet and shared the pancakes out for them, pouring over them a generous layer of chocolate. After placing the cutlery on the table, he sat down.
“You’re the first one to taste them,” said Joshua turning to Marina.
She blinked. They had done all the work and still wanted her to give her approval before they ate theirs. She frowned as if asking them if they were sure, whereby Dennis added, “Yep, you taste it. If it’s no good, I won’t eat it. It seems that you got the bad part of the Christmas cake.”
Cleaver boy! If that was the idea, they were taking advantage of her. Anyway, and after all their work, it was the least she could do. Marina cut a piece of pancake, and put it in her mouth. She felt uncomfortably observed while chewing, but she did it with no rush, like a true food taster. At last, she nodded her head and said, “Okay, if you don’t want yours, I’ll eat them, because they are very good!”
The brothers burst out laughing and attacked theirs. Marina had told the truth: the pancakes were quite good and soon they disappeared into their bellies.
After clearing the kitchen, Dennis returned to his post on the sofa, while Joshua invited Marina to his bedroom. A problem emerged when they crossed the door: there was a single chair at the desk. Besides, the table was too small for the two of them to work on. Joshua solved the matter quickly, making her a sign to sit at the desk as he took his shoes off and installed on the bed.
Not even a minute had passed since they were there, when the boy remembered, “Damn, I’m such an idiot! The Philosophy notebook is there, in the midst of the others.”
He got up with a jump and went to the desk to search for the diary. As he did it, he was so close to the girl that she could smell the delicious aroma of his perfume. I wish this was the scent I desire, Marina lamented. She couldn’t deny that he had made her falter, and that he was a remarkable candidate to the title of ‘best boyfriend in the universe’. She also had no doubts of what he felt for her, given the evidence he had already provided her. Now that she wasn’t with Lucas, who knew if her heart would follow Ana’s advice and reconstruct itself with another love? Maybe, but, at the moment, she wasn’t prepared for that - her whole being still belonged entirely to Lucas. To abstract herself from inopportune thoughts, she took her phone and sent a text to her mother, saying that she was studying at her friend's house and would get home by dinner time.
Joshua finally found the notebook and returned to the bed. He lay down on his side, supported on one elbow, and began flipping the pages. Marina stared at him from the corner of her eye and smiled: he was very sexy and attractive, period. Feeling observed, Joshua looked up to her. Marina didn’t bother to hide what she was doing. This pleased him greatly, since it nourished his hope that, one day, she would forget Lucas and would be his.
Decided to focus on studying, Marina rolled on the chair and pulled the material out of the bag to start copying the notes. Ana hadn’t taken great notes from classes. Basically, she had copied the summary and written down the pages of the book in which were the matters that had been studied. That way, Marina would need the books, which was a problem, since she had left hers at school.
With no other choice, she asked, “Josh, can you lend me your History book? I have Geography’s, but I didn’t bring History’s, because I had no idea I would need it.”
The boy's face lit up, making him blaze. Marina found his reaction odd and questioned him about what was happening. Was there something special about asking him if he had his History book at home to lend her? He laughed and explained, “You called me Josh.”
So what? Wasn’t that the diminutive of his name? He had been the one who told her to call him that. Confused, she stammered, “Y-yes, I called you Josh. That's what you said your friends called you. What? Did I do something wrong?”
“No. I’m just glad that you’ve finally decided that we both belong to the same circle of friends,” Joshua said, extending his grin.
She considered him a friend for a long time, it wasn’t something that she had just decided as he seemed to insinuate. Simply the word had escaped her; it wasn’t intentional or something thought. However, she was too accustomed to call him ‘Joshua’, therefore she warned, “I'm glad you're happy, but hold the fireworks, because I'm used to calling you Joshua, and that's how it will continue to be. It just came out this time. Please, don’t be upset if I call you Joshua, okay?”
“You can call me whatever you want. By the way, the History book is there, in the corner of the desk.”
Marina searched for the manual and found it at the indicated place. She thanked him and turned to front, to check the pages indicated by Ana. She hoped they matched, since her colleague was so distracted.
When Marina finished the resumes, Joshua was long listening to music on his MP3. Curious, she waved at him till he looked at her and pulled out one earphone. When he did so, she questioned, “What are you listening to?”
“Wretch 32, ‘Traktor’.”
Marina grimaced and queried, “Really? I had no idea you liked that kind of music.”
“I have a very varied taste. Plus, you can make a great choreography out of this music. Do you want me to show you?”
Marina agreed and Joshua climbed vigorously off the bed to connect the M
P3 to a pair of columns from an old computer. The music sounded too high, making Marina’s brain shake with the trepidation. The boy jumped to the part of the room in front of the window, which was more stripped of furniture, perhaps on purpose for him to dance whenever he wanted. And he was quite good at that! He moved like a pro from those videos from MTV.
When he finished, Marina cheered him with a standing ovation. “Yes, sir. You’re a terrific dancer.”
“Thanks, but merit isn’t just mine. In America, I attended a different school. I’m not sure how it is called here. School of performing arts?”
Marina’s mouth popped open. “Shut up! Seriously? Cool! That explains a lot. It’s a shame that here, at school, you can’t develop your talent. But wait a second. Why didn’t you choose the dance workshop instead?”
Joshua put a hand to his chest and put on a mask of panic, while claiming, “And risk me being eaten by those girls all hungry for a partner? Do you have any idea on how many guys attend that workshop? Two! They look like lionesses struggling for them. Do you think I’d get away with such punishment? Besides, I dance because I like it, and not for wanting to be a dancer, which I don’t.”
Joshua unplugged the MP3 from the speakers and sat on his bed. Marina began to put her things in the backpack. Watching what she was doing, the boy inquired, “You’re leaving? We didn’t even study for tests.”
“I know, but it's getting late and my mom has been sick. I better get going and cook dinner while she rests. Besides, I've studied a little when I was making the summaries. Sorry, but I think I better leave now.”
Joshua gasped and whispered something imperceptible. He turned to rise, this time to escort her to the exit. He asked her if she wanted him to take her home, but she rejected the offer, claiming that she preferred him to go to school with her the next morning. They said farewell and she left.
The sun had just set; soon the temperature would come down a pike. Most likely, it was going to be another night of cold and thick fog. The clouds seemed stable, therefore Marina doubted that it would rain. Based on this assumption, she should get home dry.
When she firmed her feet on the side walk after the gate, Marina evoked to her memory the episode of the night before. Would Barbatos be waiting for her again? She scanned the area in a glance and appealed to her sixth sense. The demon shouldn’t be around, as she heard no bells rebating inside, nor had goose bumps. The street itself hadn’t the fearsome aspect that it had assumed before: the cars passed by often, dazzling her with headlights of doubtful tones, and, once or twice, she sighted someone moving to an uncertain fate. She could move on in free from strife. Since she had somehow come to terms with the river railing, she moved towards it. She passed by the pedestrian bridge and didn’t feel scared, to her delight - she was at peace with herself. A hurricane had devastated her world recently, but she was getting ready for the reconstruction phase.
Marina walked with steady paces for a while, until she stopped in front of the skate park, a place from where she had such good memories. Before Lucas, she had never given it much attention, since she wasn’t a fan of skateboarding. Lucas... She didn’t hate Lucas and would never be able to abhor him. She refused to deny the happy moments they had spent together. Why would she? They had been great, period. On impulse, she sat on the rail, while she observed the half-pipe illuminated by several powerful spotlights. She recalled the day spent with Lucas on the bench nearby, and the jokes they had told while lying on the grass. For a demon, he had a good repertoire, a lot better than hers. Truth be told, she was no good at making others laugh... except when she did ridiculous figures, albeit unintentionally.
The sound of skateboard wheels rolling over the surface of the half-pipe caught her attention. She leaned against the wall lamp and stood there, watching the boy who slid and made moves as gracefully as a true professional.
“Um, he’s almost as good as Lucas,” Marina thought aloud.
As if hearing his name, he jumped off the skateboard, stopped and turned to her. Marina thought that attitude was strange, so she arose from the railing and tried to focus better the face of the boy who was on the other side. The distance that separated them, the darkness of the night and the unusual shine that the park spotlights granted him, all concealed his identity to a distracted passer-by, but she needed to be told nothing. The guy on the other side was Lucas, she had no doubts. After speaking with him that afternoon, she thought that they might not meet again so soon. Nonetheless, there he was.
Lucas moved to the grass area in slow steps and stopped near the water. Marina noticed him making a gesture, but she didn't understand what it was. Moments later, her phone rang; she had received a message from him. She opened it and read, ‘I will love you for all eternity.’ A sneaking tear escaped down her face. She ended up smiling just to contradict it, after all the content was a motive for happiness in other circumstances. She stared at the device for a few seconds, till she wrote the answer, ‘So will I, Lucas’. She saw him shortly after grabbing the phone to read what she had replied. As he did so, Marina repeated the same words in a low voice, "So will I, Lucas. So will I…”
She had spoken too low, but even so he heard her, as the wind had carried her words to his super sensitive ears, one more gift that she didn’t know about.
Marina waved him a shy goodbye. She allowed herself to release a small and painful moan, and retraced her steps back home. When she looked to the other side, Lucas had disappeared. That's how things ended between them – with no yelling or promises of revenge, only resignation and a goodbye.