Some Other Time, Some Other Place

I had not seen Katherine for almost ten years when quite by accident I encountered her that first morning on the beach, but she was as beautiful as I remembered her. She still possessed an unforgettable presence, an inwardness, and a certain kind of dignity that had always created distances around her. The only thing that had changed was her eyes. I noticed that right away, even though the light was very dim. There was a tension that wasn't there before. The certainty was gone.