She looked at the hammock and watched it sway as he left.  It WAS always SO hard to watch him leave.  She often imagined what he did when he left her, if it was as hard for him as it was for her.  She knew that when she left him and went to bed, that she often let the thoughts of what they had done during that time, or of the sound of his sweet breathing lull her to sleep.  On occasion, she would let her mind travel to the other places and times they had lived.  In every case, he was always her last thought as she drifted off into an unconscious state. 

She loved it when her unconscious mind would take over and bring him there too.  It was not often that she was scared there, but lately she had been more disturbed than usual and it was always comforting to find him there.  She smiled as she thought that just as she was his “sleep”, he was her “comfort”.  Nothing felt better than to be in his arms, to have him touch her, want her, and need her.  Thinking back to their time together, she wondered if he had been surprised.  No, probably not.  He seemed to know her better than she knew her own self…and she was sure that he KNEW that she had been contemplating that for quite some time.  It was SO hard to surprise him or impress him….and she still smiled contentedly as she remembered him telling her that she HAD indeed impressed him….and she knew he truly meant it…she just could not figure out why?  It was not anything really significant, nothing that she did not normally do, but he was right….each and every design was made with him in mind.  The thoughts of what they did, who they were, where they were at and how they made love had run thru her mind over and over as she put them together, each one exciting her anew, motivating her to do more and more, waiting for him to come to her, so she could share it with him.  And with each one, she knew that he saw it too.  It never ceased to amaze her to find that he thought and felt exactly as she did.  It was all SO easy.  “They” were SO easy….each time together better than before….so exciting…so wonderful and she pondered upon it…thinking that truly…..TRULY the only HARD part about them… was the parting.  They both knew it had to be and could not be helped.  But it was still hard. 

The hammock swayed gently and she tried to let it remind her of the way he so often rocked her when they were together, but all it seemed to do was remind her that he was not there.  She tried SO hard not to be selfish with him.  They literally spent HOURS together EACH day.  She knew that so few couples got to do that….and she always felt so selfish and unappreciative when she wanted more….her only comfort, was that on occasion he would let her look inside him and find….that he felt that way too….and it made it bearable.  Perhaps THAT is what was meant by the famous phrase “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”    It ALWAYS hurt, but it was somehow comforting to know that the other hurt too.  It somehow lessened the sting and made it possible to let go…..and think ahead….to the many times yet to come, numbing the pain….of the parting.