IT COMES AS A GOODBYE : the press of lips ‘gainst blush , swipes of rouge greeted with a departure . she understands , of course . understands that this was merely a visit to the cortez ; visit being the operative word , a word that , in and of itself , implies an eventual , expected end . & she understands , more than that , more than this between them , that she cannot ask of anything more . so , she accepts the kiss with a peck of her own & only a quiet little flutter of her heart , a note of acceptance ––– but all does little to quell the bittersweet taste of a peculiar sadness beginning to cloy on tongue . ❝ write me soon , ❞ she whispers ‘gainst his cheek , before embrace is broken & room key is handed over . a lingering brush of hands , & then , she is watching him walk out of the cortez’s clutches ; his presence ebbing away with every step , feeling more & more like a distant memory rather than a recent reality .