She confronted him for staring, but seconds later she kissed his cheek. Two old friends had been enjoying their usual park bench when a passing runner stopped cold, ready to demand an explanation for one man’s lingering gaze. His tender reply changed everything, yet only after she jogged away did his friend hear what lay behind his friend’s kind… Continues…

The two men were settled on their favorite bench when a young woman ran past in bright trainers. One watched her long enough that she stopped and turned back. “Something you want to say?” she demanded. He lowered his eyes, then offered a wistful smile. “You reminded me of my wife when we were young. For a second, I forgot how many years had passed.” Her shoulders relaxed. What she had taken for a leer suddenly seemed like longing. She apologized, leaned down to kiss his cheek, and continued along the path.

He waited until she was beyond earshot before nudging his companion. “Three to two. Your turn.” His friend chuckled, and the tender moment collapsed into something considerably less charming. They had been keeping score. The runner left believing she had comforted a lonely stranger; the men stayed behind, pleased that a well-timed story had earned another point.