"Oh! not that the other one." "Here you go "–John. "It was good to see the kids after a long time,"said Olivia . "Yeah, but aren't they being too radical. Its not like we didn’t have problems in our time"-John cleaning the dishes."Can’t agree more "said Olivia.

"Oh! this photograph,"exclaimed John. "Such a long time ago," John continued. "Sure does, it was a different time ,"said Olivia from behind. "Your mom still looks the same, can't say the same about you ,"-John humorously looked at Olivia.

It was Olivia’s parents 50th marriage anniversary. And was the first time in two years when John and Olivia had been together in the same room for more than a few minutes. It had been eight years since their separation.

Mrs Halton ( Olivia’s mother) came down from the first floor. "So John you are staying, "said Mrs Halton entering kitchen. "Only if you want me to" replied John gently."Oh! come on ,"Mrs. Halton reacted to gentle badinage."Mom, do you want a drink?"asked Olivia. "A glass of wine will be fine dear"- Mrs Halton. "And John?" -Olivia. "Same for me "- John.Olivia brought drinks and John raised a toast- "to your 50^th marriage aniversary, beautiful."

"Look at you two, so happy. Why can’t you two get along?" said Mrs Halton inundated by emotions. "Such a beautiful couple," Mrs. Halton continued in a teary voice. "Marry don’t cry you know I can’t see you crying." " I’m not crying,"Mrs. Holton holding back her tears.John consolingly "aren’t you the one who told me that everything happens for a reason." "Of all the aphorisms I have said over the years this is the only one you remember, how charming of you John." "Convenience ,Mary" chuckled John. Mrs Halton finished her drink and looked at the clock – " it’s already midnight you guys must be tired ,go to sleep I’ll clear off rest in the morning." "No,

mom it’s almost done and anyway I’m not sleepy and he is a night owl"- Olivia clearing the table. "God bless you , good night dear" and Mrs Halton went back to her room. "She loves you ,"said Olivia . "Surely does and more than she loves you ,"said John. "I unwillingly agree with you," said Olivia gently . They start cleaning the living room.

"I thought you were bringing a date," asked Olivia . "Yeah I was but she was too querulous to stand" replied John . "And you must have felt that in the morning ,I guess" sarcastically Olivia. "Yeah , to be honest ," John blatantly. "You are such a pig" said Olivia. She continued "you won’t change." "I don’t judge your choices"- John in a contemptuous tone. "Yeah because one of those choices were you" replied Olivia. John scoffs. They start folding a a sheet. " Just hold it there is it", "ok yeah just a minute." "What about your date?" asked John . " He is more than a date ,anyway he had a work thing," Olivia sedately. "It’s always work" John sneering at her. " It’s not like that so please keep your platitudes to your self ,"Olivia bemusedly.

They moved back to the kitchen. Olivia arranged the clean vessels and John cleaned the counter. "Hey what about Margaret's girlfriend, "John hesitantly. "Did you just hesitate? "Olivia mockingly. "Yeah it’s bit peculiar "– John sounding bit perplexed. "Seriously coming from a man who used to revile people for being homophobic in the 90s is hesitating to accept his daughter's gayness," Olivia enjoying John's hesitance . "That was to impress you and you know that," said John . "To be honest I didn’t," Olivia chuckled . "I have a few pictures"- Olivia ,takes her phone out. She starts to scroll through her gallery ,"here it is," John comes closer " she looks winsome I see where Margaret’s coming from,"they keep scrolling till John notices something . "Wait a minute," said John , he sees somethimg. It was a photo of Vince ,their son and his girlfriend she was showing a visible pregnancy bump."Is she pregnant"- John furiously. Olivia caught off guard remained silent ."Why didn't you tell me ,why the hell he didn't tell me , he was here ". "Calm down John, "Olivia tried to assuage the situation. " Even I found out a week ago.

They are being coyish about it." " Coyish about it?" John palpably angry-" you knew about it and you didn’t have the curtsy to tell me after all we have been through. "Enraged by what he said. Olivia angrily- " John seriously curtsy and specially with Vince.What more were you expecting from him?"

"Here we go again ,John furiously."He acts like this because of all the lies you have told him about me."

"Yeah, John I told our son how you didn't want him in the first place.And how his birth blighted our marriage.It was all me"- Olivia.

"Yeah I wasn't ready but that doesn't mean I hate my kid, so that' s on you"-John.

Olivia sobbingly-" With all we have been through ,John I have never ever said any negative thing about you to our kids , it's not my fault that they sense coldness from you. And to be honest the second I was pregnant you stopped loving me."John eyes turned red and were full with tears , Olivia hurriedly went to garden.

After sometime John went and sat beside Olivia in the garden and says-"I never stopped loving you ,it's only that I couldn't say it more.It all happened so fast we didn't even have chance to talk to each other. It was all about kids, society. And I just felt left out, it was if you were there but not close enough."

Olivia wiped her tears and said-" Our love was just too great to be shared . We didn't stop loving each other it was just us maybe who came between our love."They faced each other , closed their eyes and kissed . Olivia's phone started ringing ,it was Mitchell her boyfriend.They stopped ,she picked up the phone and went inside.John kept gazing the stars.

Olivia wakes up from a nightmare.She sees the date and opens the drawer beside her and pulls out a letter . She starts reading it.

Dear Olivia,

What happened last night was wrong. We said things again which we didn't mean to. I always find you around me ,it's like you are always there with me. I'm surely not a great dad or a great husband but I have loved to the fullest . And at the end it's all I have . You will never be far away nor are you gonna close to me but somehow you will be there with me.Maybe our love is suppose to have a story where we don't meet again maybe but I'm sure it will close enough so that we can feel each other and far enough so we can miss each other.

Love

John

Tears start to fall from her eyes. It has been 10 years since that night and as John had written they never met again .That fight turned out to be their last . John died in a car crash that night around 4 , just an hour after he left her house. She keeps thinking if she hadn't picked up that call ,would he have left.She looks out in the sky and closes her eyes .She sees John.

The End