"So, please give up, okay?" I broke the silence again, this time aiming to give Jones a stark look at reality. There was no use wasting time. Family ties were unbreakable and he might just end up with a wild goose chase.
Jones looked at me with a certain sadness in his eyes.
"You think I haven't thought of all these things?" he sighed deeply, his smile puzzling.
He was a man of careful thought; how could he not have considered all these? He probably thought more than I did.
"So if you've thought of it all, you should know when to cut your losses, Jones. You'd make a great husband and father, but your happiness isn't with me." My voice choked up, barely audible by the end.
"I can't do it. I fear more than anything your absence. How should I cope?" Jones's eyes were full of melancholy, exacerbating my guilt.
