John entered the room with the weight of an elephant on his shoulders. This wasnt the first time he did this, and nor did it get any easier. She sat on the couch, a look on her face like she already knew it all. John walked over to the couch opposite of her, and slumped down.

"Did you ever mean it?" she started

With a long pause, and a heavy sigh, John looked up and said, "Once, yes. But only once."

She responded, without hesitation, "Im surprised you even ment it once, John, I know by now how much this work means to you, to the world quite frankly, which I why I stopped believing you a long time ago."

"The last time I meant it, and if it wasnt for this unfathomable circumstance, I wouldnt have lied, you know that."

"I know, I just hate it"

He felt tears well up in his eyes from knowing he broke hear heart yet another time.

Choked up, he began," I wont tell you now this is the last time Ill go to space. Im needed more than ever now. But not just by my country, by the entire world. It makes me sick to know I have to hurt you like this, but there may not even be a future for us if I dont go."

He bit his tongue maybe he shouldnt have included that last part. Maybe shell respond with 'there wont be a future for us either way'. A part of him wish she would say that, he didnt deserve her or to be continuously breaking her heart, maybe it would be easier that way.

But she looked at him intensely and said, "You do what you have to do, Ive accepted that Ill never be the priority, not to a man that does work to save all mankind."