Elsbeth sat on the park bench, staring listlessly at the birds feeding around her. The sun shone brightly on her back but she did not relish it's touch. An unusual gloom had descended on her since Aaron's death. Even Tom's death had not affected her this way. She had mourned but after a while her practical, positive outlook on life had taken over and she had moved on. But this was different. It lingered and dragged her down, leaving her without any energy or appetite for life.
She looked at the empty bench opposite where she had first seen Aaron and felt a bitter pang of emptiness.
She got up, startling the birds around her into flight, and headed back to her empty flat, forgetting her book on the bench.
