As the sun rose upon the sleepy town of Grandville, the air was slowly filled with the waking sounds generally associated with a Monday morning. Newspapers bouncing off doorframes, groggy hellos to neighbours, coffee percolating, perky morning news anchors forecasting the day, and the gentle whirring of cars weaving together to building into the lion's roar of morning traffic.

Coffee Clerk: Good morining sir! What can I get you?

Marty: Ummm... yes... I'll have uh--, let me think now...

Andrea: He'll have a large hot chocolate with whip cream and I'll have the same, both for here.

Marty: Andrea! I'm sorry... I didn't see you there.

Andrea: And it'll be on me, please.

Marty: Oh no... you don't have to do that, really.

Andrea: It's the least I can do, Marty, considering the circumstances. [paying the cashier] Here you are... keep the change.

Coffee Clerk: Thanks.... have a good day!

Marty: We'll do our best. How's that spot... by the window?

Andrea: We always did have the same tastes in seating arrangements.

Marty: Are you saying you haven't changed at all in the past six years?

Andrea: I'm not saying that at all... [sip] But at my age, some personality quirks are pretty much set in stone.

Marty: "At my age"... [chuckling] You're only a year older than I am.

Andrea: Less than a year... but that's still a few hundred extra days of experience. And you know me, always living life to extremes.

Marty: I guess that's why I never could keep up; I'm always living life in the slow lane.

Andrea: Don't kid yourself; you did fine. When I needed to ground myself, you were always there for me.

Marty: Still am. [sip]

Andrea: Still are. [sip]

Marty: You're still my one constant in life. When all else fails, at least I know that Andrea is living an interesting life.

[slight pause. both sip]

Andrea: So how's Emertia?

Marty: She's dead.

To be continued...