Age Bound Ecstasy
Veronica preferred the smaller logs from the vineyard prunings; they snapped and popped, sending sparks upward like brief stars against the dark chimney throat.
They were both ninety now, give or take a few months that neither bothered to count precisely anymore. The calendar on the kitchen wall still turned pages, but the dates had lost their sharp edges. Birthdays were marked with quiet dinners, a bottle of the good red from the Douro that Sofia always brought, and a single candle that neither of them bothered to blow out because wishes felt redundant when so many had already come true.