His lips mashed together, forming a fine pencilline as he stood glaring down at me. Just seconds before the small garage hadechoed with the shrill sounds of our harsh words, but now an eerie drape ofsilence had fallen.

The walls had observed our rehearsals of this samescene over and over again. They had grown accustomed to my head dropping infatigue and tears flooding my eyes. The walls had come to expect his reddenedface and the deep sighs that escaped from both of us almost on cue. The scene wasmundane, yet something felt different.

I sat there on the step,unable and unwilling to meet his stare. I huddled against the cold door, my armstightly gripping my knees. Dark circles lined my eyes, and the corners of my lipsdrooped. I stared at my knees forcefully squeezed together. Something about thatwas symbolic, and I thought of all the time we had spent together. I desperatelyreached for the memories of happiness and love. Somehow, though, the only glimpseof our shared past I could grasp was his hardened face growing more and morestiff as my eyes searched him for some solution.

He saidnothing, yet the silence was deafening. We stayed frozen, perhaps deep in thoughtor just too weary to move. The rest of my body still locked, I allowed my eyes todrift up toward his face. They slowly traced his thin figure, delaying thefearful moment when they would have to meet his gaze. I studied thetransformation; he was now a stranger to me. His muscular arms were crossed andheld firmly against his chest. His body was stiff, but I could see the smalltremors running through his nerves. His teeth were gritted, and the outline ofhis tightly shut mouth quivered under the pressure.

I didn't know what tosay. Words were never enough for him. Nothing was. And I was too tired to try.Fifteen months and ten days were gone, never to be taken back. Did I have thestrength to end it?

With all the energy I could summon, I forced my eyesto lock with his. His once-radiant blue eyes were the color of cold iron, as ifbarring his soul from me. I lifted my head high, refusing to let the suppressedtears reveal my fear. I knew what I had to do; there was no other choice. Iswallowed hard and took a deep breath. I looked at him one last time, searchingfor one little glimmer of the guy I once knew. There was no evidence he had everexisted. My voice deepened as the words slipped from my mouth. I didn't thinkabout them because I knew that if I did, I would never be able to get them out.They came from deep within me.

"We're done."