Time is not a thing that's ours to lose...

"You know, I'm glad you're a bit of a tease," I said, thinking my gods the inanity, but she disconnects when I tell her she's lovely. I'll be a fool instead; I've enough practice.

She smiled, said, "Good," (Unspoken: I would be whether you were glad or not. And that makes me happy, too, honestly.) and went back to what she was doing.

I held back her hair and let go of the thought of being anything but present.
And she was radiant and graceful.
And it was good.