'you look lovely, honey,' i said, brushing her long dark hair. i powdered her pale face. she said nothing, obviously still upset about the whole affair. 'you know i'm sorry, how many times do i need to say it?' i continued, picking up the red lipstick and applying it to her pert lips. she continued to stare ahead, ignoring me. i lifted her right hand, admiring the soft skin. i carefully rested it on the dressing table and selected a lavender nail polish from the array she kept there. still choosing to ignore me, i whispered, 'your hands always looked best in lavender.' she must have been seething inside, she did not jerk or even move, but let me replace the right hand with the left. her eyes did not betray her feelings as i stared into them, an obvious look of pleading in my own. she continued to sit silently, her silence worse than any words she could have uttered, her stillness worse than any anger or movement. i began to get angry myself at her apathy, 'it's your own fault, you knew the consequences!' my voice began to rise. still, she gazed forward, focused on some unknown point ahead. i looked at her and sighed as i picked up the blush. i dabbed her cheeks with pale pink powder, adding some colour to her pallor. at last i stood up, slowly walking around her. 'there,' i said. i bent down and kissed her neck. she is still the most beautiful woman i have ever seen, i thought, as i wiped some blood from my lips, even in death.