Evening Star

Evening fell swift at this time of year. He looked past the windscreen into the darkening blue yonder. Inside the car parked at the edge, he could see the late evening traffic snaking its way past, leaving a trail of bright red tail lights blinking as it moved towards the horizon. Venus shone brightly just above the horizon, a sparkling diamond against a velvety blue sky.
He watched her hand as she turned down the music on her car music player. The orange LED display shimmered on the diamond on her finger, setting it on fire. His eyes lingered on her hand for a moment, before shifting to her face as her eyes focused into the descending darkness.
They spoke in low voices, almost as if someone was listening; but it was late evening and the parking lot was deserted. His hand on hers, on her lap as he stroked the side of her hand with his thumb while she stroked the tips of his fingers as they spoke. The gloom followed the descending darkness as as they touched the irony of their lives. He was trapped in a meaningless marriage, she a lonely relationship; yet by circumstance, both went about their lives, living their charades. In the bustle of their lives, they had found each other, two souls lost together, neither knowing the way forward yet feeling safe in each others company. In the face of society, they were perfect strangers, and it was in these quiet moments that they became who they are.
He hesitated for a moment and then spoke. "I guess l can't call you for a while, eh? Its gonna make this a very long weekend."
She gripped his hand tight. "I'm going to miss you", she said, her voice trailing into silence. She let the silence linger for a while," He doesn't know things have changed. And I'm not ready to tell him." She clasped his fingers with both hands and brought them to her lips. "I'm really gonna miss you". She said it this time, almost to herself to remind her of the moment.
"Are you going to be OK?" he asked, reaching out to touch her cheek. "I'm not asking you to choose," he continued," this is the life we chose it to be".
She leaned back in her seat and let out a long sigh. She turned her face away to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. Her life had never been perfect, and being with him brought a sense of completeness. But now the man in her complicated life is coming back, and the emptiness was beginning to grow. She clutched his hand tightly, and pressed it against her cheek feeling the warmth of his skin.
She kissed his hand one final time and bade him goodbye. In a screech of tires, she drove off into the darkness, not once looking back, her eyes clouded by tears.
Her man would be back, and once again, he'd try his best with flowers and gifts, with dinners and movies to make her the center of his life, but it was empty, and he was as distant as ever. She had driven away from the one person that filled her heart, that gave her hope, the one person that made her days worth waking to.