Corinne leaned back in the chair, stretching out her arms. She rotated her neck, and looked down at her picture.
Cliff had asked her to do some artwork for these games that he and Binar were working on, in conjunction with their new partnership with Julie and Annika.
The partnership had delayed her desire to leave Cliff. Partly because her premonitions lately had been favourable for staying, and party because she now felt like she was actually contributing something to the group. She had never realised that her little hobby of drawing and painting would come in so useful.
Still, there were times where, as much as she loved Cliff, she wondered if he loved her or his computer games more.
Corinne got up and headed to the kitchen for something to each. She had been at it for hours now and needed a break.
"Hi Binar," she said cheerfully.
"Hello," Binar replied with a nod. "How is the artwork progressing?"
"Oh, good."
Binar nodded again and continued eating his lunch with his usual precision.
"Where's Cliff?"
"In the office."
"Of course," she shook her head. "Working or playing?"
"Playing."
"Typical."
Binar said nothing. He never said anything without a reason.
Corinne started putting her lunch together, then paused for a moment, and looked at Binar.
"Binar?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think... I mean, well... Does Cliff..." Corinne trailed off, uncertain how to phrase the question, let along why she was asking Binar.
Binar just met her gaze, with a patient expression on his face. Corinne took a deep breath and tried again.
"Do you think that... well... Cliff still, umm, loves me?"
Now why on earth did she ask Binar a thing like that? Binar, who probably wouldn't know an emotion if it jumped up and bit him on the bum.
"I'm sorry, you don't -" she began the same time Binar answered: "Yes."
Corinne stared.
"What?"
"You asked me if I thought that Cliff still loves you. I answered yes."
Corinne slumped over the counter.
"But... but how can you be sure?"
"I met Cliff before he met you. I got to know his habits," Binar replied. "When he met you, those habits changed to spend more time with you and do other things consistant with the concept of 'wooing'. This was a time of much upheaval in his life, especially when you finally moved in with us. Eventually he found a new balance in his life as was neccesary, but one that consisted of your presense, unlike the one he had before he met you."
"I live with you guys. Of course he has to have a new balance with me in it. But he's always spending time on the computer. He used to spend a lot more time with me, and now I feel like I never see him."
"You do not 'never' see him," Binar corrected.
"I know that. But that's not what it feels like."
"When Cliff and you were dating, Cliff did not spend as much time on the computer, even doing the things that he needed to do for work. It was neccesary for him to find a balance between romance, work and recreation."
"Yeah, but why can't he recreate with me?"
"Because you do not share his primary source of recreation."
"Playing computer games."
"Yes."
"But why can't he just find a new... primary source?"
"Why can't you?" Binar replied. "Cliff has found a balance in his life and has no reason to alter it. Therefore, it must be you who are inbalanced, and must take steps to correct the balance yourself."
"What I want is more time with Cliff. I can't do that without him."
"You are already spending more time with Cliff now that you are doing the artwork."
"Not that much more."
"If you wish to spend additional time with Cliff, I would suggest you try joining him in his recreational activities."
"I don't like computer games."
Binar shrugged.
"Either you do and fix the imbalance, or don't and the imbalance will continue."
Corinne sighed.