He was quiet. She waited for him to continue and when he didn’t she asked, “What happened with you and Penny?”

” I don’t want to talk about it. What about you? What was your childhood like?”

She knew by his tone that something bad had happened but she didn’t push the subject. ” Well, I never really dated much. I was raised by my grandma and she was pretty strict. I can’t really say that I’ve ever been in love before. All of the guys I’ve dated have hurt me in one form or another.”

” I’m sorry to hear that. Why’d your grandma raise you?”

” My parents died in a car accident when I was 2.”

“Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up such a touchy subject.”

” It’s okay. You didn’t know. I don’t remember much about my parents so I don’t really have much to miss. Although I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to have that perfect family. Anyways, I moved here to have a fresh start after my grandma died.”

” Do you have any other family here?”

” Nope, just me.”

The mood went silently somber so he stood up and reached for her hand.

” Let’s go to bed.”

” That sounds like a good idea.”

When they had made love all thoughts of Penny had faded from his mind. Now her memory crept back as he lay in the silence. She had been taken from him too soon. It wasn’t his fault that driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. He tried to swerve to miss the car but he swerved too much and ran into a tree. He tried to shut his eyes and not remember the rest of what had happened that night. He didn’t want to remember his Penny that way. A tree branch stuck through her chest. She had reached for his hand in terror before impact. He still held it even after all the life left her grasp.

” Penny, ” he called out in the silence.

His lover did not stir in the bed. The sweet, china goddess could not hear him. After she had fallen asleep he had injected her with a needle, the poison quickly stopping her perfect heart.

” You don’t have to worry about anyone hurting you ever again my love,” he whispered to her lifeless body as he leaned in to kiss her lips.

Their memories of each other would remain pure and untainted. Lifting her body, he placed her in her bath tub and washed every beautiful inch.  He took her bedsheets and cleaned her apartment, removing all trace of his presence there. As he headed for the door he stopped, realizing he had forgotten one thing. The photo album with his Penny reincarnate. No one could take her from him. Not this time, not ever.