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"Young love is a flame; very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep burning, unquenchable."

― Henry Ward Beecher

Nothing was altogether out of the ordinary; it was just one of those weeks as they say.

Richard, exhausted from the time of putting his family's reputation back together, overseeing William's transition to the company, and the day to day living that wears anyone out, now left his office went up the north flight of stairs and turned left at the first door.

Aurelia was there, tidying up the last of what had been moved back from the country estate that she had called home for years. Several plants sat by the sill of the window, her favorite chair was placed in the corner, and the once hated black book containing all the names of the family's contacts sat next to her copy of the King James Bible, as if she meant to draw her strength from the latter when dealing with the former.

She didn't have time to turn around before Richard clasped her and kissed her cheek. She smiled and kissed him back before turning and clutching him, full on, in an embrace. She bent her head back so that her short hair brushed his hands as he kept one arm around the back of her neck for support. They kissed again, which now came as naturally as breathing as opposed to the early days of their marriage when they were sometimes too nervous to even touch each other despite their passionate feelings. Now it was easy. As easy as it was to look at each other and see, through the lines on their faces, and sometimes wear and tear on their smiles, that they still chose each other after everything.

Richard kissed his wife again. Now she leaned her head against his chest and let him kiss the back of her head and tips of her ears that showed through her blond hair. She embraced him tightly.

"I love you, sweetheart," Richard murmured closing his eyes with a sigh.

Before she left, he never said such things aloud. Now that she had returned, more and more they were slipping from his mouth.

Although it was almost midnight, he felt a week's worth of energy return to him.