"This is Sarah; leave your name and a message at the beep and I'll get back to you ASAP!"

Keith waited for what felt like an eternity for that beep; his paw trembled with guilt as he prepared to take control of his life. Sarah had taken advantage of him long enough!

But as he heard the electronic tone, he struggled against confessing his love all over again.

"Keith here," the rabbit began, "Sarah... Sarah, you left a message on my machine today about how sorry you were for running off. First off, there's no need to apologize. I'm fine with it. Really." The tears were pushing against his throat, making each syllable a struggle.

"You don't have a clue how you've blown my life apart, Sarah," Keith continued, "I love you to death, yet you kept tearing my heart to shreds! How much it hurt, honey, you'll have no idea.

"Don't tell me you do." He paused to swallow a lump in his throat.

"Every day it was something different, one day you were a hormonal ball of fire, the next a xenophobic hypochondriac. I was afraid to touch you without permission; that's when you started complaining that I didn't love you anymore. And every time you ran, and every time you left a loving, steamy, lustful message on my machine.

"And every time I'd fall right back into your arms.

"You knew that when I came out the Tank I'd be more 'sensitive' and 'loving,' so you took advantage of me. I gave you chances no human would even fathom!"

Keith sniffled and wiped away a tear. "No more. That is no more.

"Don't think this is easy for me to say," Keith pushed on, "Do you wake up every morning reaching over to find you ain't there, and you ain't coming back?

"Don't tell me you do."

Suddenly, rage sliced into the rabbit's voice: "I don't want to hear it anymore! Don't tell me that you're crying to sleep each night; don't say you spend each hour wondering 'what wasn't right.'

"It's over." The receiver slammed back onto the cradle. For the next hour it was all he could do to cry his woes out, weep over Sarah's loving memory.

It was finally over...