I love how you've described it: a metal ball of pain. It's a perfect description. Distilled... I love it. And thank you so much for saying what you did about my dialogue. It's often one of the trickiest things to pull off in a story, regardless of how long it is. I really appreciate this.

Choppy, because that's all that's left, no energy anymore, just sighs and touching hands and this is them trying and I can't stop reading that last line because it's perfect.

THANK YOU. Again. *kisses* That is such a wonderful thing to hear.