"Please don't go!" She called as loudly as her voice would let her. He turned back to her, his body stiff. How could he possibly walk away from someone so perfect, yet so broken?

"I can't stay." He muttered to her. "You know this isn't good for anyone." Even though the words were leaving his mouth, he couldn't help but walk towards her, like there was a gravitational pull that he couldn't get away from. Did he even want to?

"Anthony, I promise I could do better. We can work this out. We could-" she stopped. The tears began rolling down her rosy cheeks. Her face was cream and roses. She was so beautiful, so fragile, like silk on glass.

"Maureen, we can't do this anymore. We can't sneak out and lie and run away from the truth. We're not the same." He cupped his big dark chocolate hand over hers. "Maureen, look at me." He said. Maureen stared into his dark eyes and wondered how she had gotten herself into this mess. "Why ruin your life for me, Maureen?" He asked her in his deep gravelly voice.

"Because I love you." She breathed. "We belong together like parts of a puzzle." She said to him.

"If that's so, then why do we have to hide it? Why do we only meet at night?" He asked, even though he knew why.

"I'm not ashamed of you, if that's what you're implying." She said indignantly. Anthony always thought it was funny when she would get angry. She couldn't hurt anyone. She was a house cat who thought she was a lion. She was too fragile for the world she was trying to live in.

"I know you're not." He decided he needed to do what was best for her. He dropped her hand, stroked her cheek, and kissed her forehead. "We can't do this anymore. We aren't like puzzle pieces. We don't fit together." He took a step back away from her. Maureen reached out to grab him, but he continued to retreat. "Goodbye, Maureen." He murmured. Anthony turned away from her and left nothing but memories.