History repeating itself?

But there he was, standing behind the bar in the Arrow, like nothing was out of the ordinary. Joy almost collapsed from relief. He greeted her with a friendly hug and a very formal "Joylah". Neither of which were what had become normal in their relationship. There was no smile, no endearment, no kiss. As she and Tessa relayed what they knew of his illness, he seemed almost removed from the fact that it had happened to him. She couldn't put her finger on what was different, but something was very, very different.

She chatted with Tessa as Kesar continued to tend bar, trying to talk herself into cheerfulness. She was so relieved that he was out of bed, but why couldn't she see the change in him as a good thing. He was working so hard at being a good host, Tessa even commented on it. Joy followed him as he cleaned up, hoping beyond hope for some flicker of the Kesar she had grown to expect. But there was none. The brotherly kiss on the forehead made her tremble with fear on the inside. Echoes of Ethan upon his return coming back to haunt her. The passion, or at least the slight bit of passion he had, had been gone then, too. Was she going to lose another one?

Lacking anything else to do, since Kesar quickly returned to tending bar and chatting with the other patrons, Joy returned to chatting with Tessa. Desperation made her keep up appearances, clinging to the light banter and responding accordingly. Until he walked out. No word of good-bye, no look in her direction, nothing. He just walked out with the girl he had been talking with so intently. Joy watched as they talked a bit outside, then her eyes followed them as they disappeared together into the woods.

Hours dragged by as she and Tessa continued to chat, and he still hadn't returned. Unable to keep the smile upon her face, she excused herself. There was always work to do, her business was thriving. Cold solace for her, but it was at least something. Collecting her gold after restocking, she thought perhaps shopping might help lift her spirits.

It didn't. Try as she might to tell herself that Kesar would not hurt her like Ethan had, that he was different, that he really did love her.... She could only see the similarities, how their personalities changed, how they treated her, how they...no longer cared enough to say good-bye.

Returning home, she hoped that he would be there. He wasn't. All there was left for her to do was crawl into the rumpled bed he had lain in for a week as she watched over and cared for him, hug the pillow his head had rested on as she stroked his hair...and cry herself to sleep as the terror and loneliness overwhelmed her.