“I just don’t see any point in lying to you.” he said bluntly. She was taken aback a little. She had become so used to lies and deception from the men in her life that this just didn’t seem to compute at first. She stared off blankly for a moment, then brushed her bangs out of her eyes.

“You OK in there?”

“Yeah…” she replied, still not knowing what to think.

They sat for a moment in silence on the picnic table. The park was deserted, as parks usually tend to be that way after midnight. The sky was clear, giving them idyllic lighting from the stars and the moon. It was almost as if the only thing the cosmos had to do that night was watch the little bit of soap opera unfold that was Dan and Melanie. The crickets provided mood music.

“I’m not going to pretend like I’m the best choice,” Dan started, “but I’m happy with you. You make me smile. Not just usually, but every time I’m with you. I don’t know if that’s enough for you, but it’s enough for me.”

Mel turned and looked at Dan. “It is enough.”