It had started off as the most loving, caring relationship she had ever been in.
They had spent all their spare time together, watching movies, lying around
reading books - just being with each other. It had lasted like that for a few
months - time in which they had been happy and life had seemed fine. Gradually
the real world started to creep back in. Work took greater and greater
presidence for both of them, late nights became a regularity again, and they
spent less time together.
Yet still they managed to fool themselves into thinking that the relationship was going well.
They made up for the loss of time spent together by going on sporadic and
expensive outings - dinner at obscure restaurants, or expensive gifts. Cassie
began to suffer too - she could sense the lack of committment they had for each
other. Her school work began to suffer and her behaviour degraded. Cassie,
normally pleasant and obedient, became misbehaved and willful. Not knowing it
was their problems causing her to be so, they punished her, only worsening the
behaviour.
When they finally realised that their relationship was falling apart, it was
almost too late to save it. They tried to spend more time together, to spend time
with Cassie, to regain the early euphoria they missed so much. Nothing seemed to
be working - they started arguing, never able to agree on anything. Each night
spent together always ended in the excuse 'I have work tomorrow - I should go
home.'
It soon became too much for Janet.
She'd written a note that night, right after one of their arguments that had
ended with Sam 'going home.'
She re-read it quikly, sealed it in an envelope and went to slip it under Sam's
door.
Everything she'd written was what she had been feeling for months - the time had
finally come for her to stop thinking it and actually say it. She slipped the
note under the door of Sam's quarters, heaved a deep sigh - and walked away.