They shared a laugh, and then the silence that so often intruded on their discussion asserted itself once again, a gap born of equal parts weariness,… - Christopher Paolini

" "

They shared a laugh, and then the silence that so often intruded on their discussion asserted itself once again, a gap born of equal parts weariness, familiarity and — conversely — the many differences that fate had created between those who had once gone about lives that were but variations on a single melody.