The End That Prompted the Beginning.

She called for the fifth time in three days filled with trepidation. His avoidance of her calls made the reality of what was to come undeniable.

"Hello?" Her heart sank. His mother answered.

"Hi. I was hoping to talk to..." She tried to sound courteous and cheerful.

His mother replied with a new excuse of why he couldn't take the call. She couldn't mask her disappointment but offered a meek phrase of appreciation. His mother provided a curt goodbye and quick hang up. She, however, lingered on the line finally ready to admit the inevitable and succumb to the tears she was barely keeping at bay.

That's when she heard it - the sigh.

He cleared his throat.

She held her breathe.

"Hi. Let me explain," he began.

The conversation confirmed her suspicions. What was done was done. She sat silently nodding at each line he spewed wondering which he would offer up next. His words all blurred together and she was dizzied by the white noise of his voice.

Overwhelmed with this official truth, she gently whispered, "Thank you and goodbye," then returned the corded phone to its cradle.