They had played together as toddlers for as long as they could remember
He, the five-year-old, would tend to take the lead in whatever game they played. She, the three-year-old would watch and copy and sometimes better whatever he did. As far as their respective parents were concerned, the fact that they would play happily for hours meant that the four adults could relax and spend their time being relatively undisturbed.
It was during one of these family visits that it happened. It isn’t known, and probably isn’t important, how it came about, but they were down on all fours. They seemed to be tracing the patterns of the carpet with their fingers. Despite playing together so frequently and often for long periods, there had never been much physical contact between them. However, on this occasion it just so happened that their fingertips touched…
He was seventy five and she was seventy three. It isn’t known, and probably isn’t important, how it came about, but they were down on all fours. They seemed to be looking for something, something small, maybe a pill or tablet that had dropped, something important enough that it needed to be found. However, on this occasion it just so happened that their fingertips touched…
It was in that one inexplicable moment that it came to pass that their entire lifetimes together were missed.