Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Ethics - Essay Example A background of the text is first important in order for one to understand the different perspectives from which justice can be viewed. Glaucon argues that justice is pursued by man against his will - a matter of necessity rather than for the goodness of it1. He also thinks that the just man would pursue injustice were he to be immune to the consequences and besides, he ultimately ends up the happier of the two. Glaucon asks Socrates to defend the view that justice is better than injustice (358b-362d). Adeimantus also requires of Socrates to demonstrate that there is value to justice, not just a utility for man to gain certain advantages in society. To answer this, Socrates uses an analogy of justice in the city to portray justice in a person. He argues that a just man does not differ in any way from a just city (435b). Justice is the result of a soul that is well ordered, hence Plato creates three classes of people present in his model city Kallipolis; producers, guardians and ruler s. In a just city, these three classes of people are required to display certain virtues that all come into action to ensure that justice prevails in the city: the rulers should create just laws, the soldiers carry out the orders of the rulers and the producers stay in obedience of this authority. The ruler class is supposed to have wisdom to ensure that the entire city operates on the same basis. This wisdom is supposed to trickle down from the governing (ruling) class onto the entire population of the city. It ensures that the city has good judgment (428d). The soldier’s role is to carry out the orders of the rulers and as such is supposed to be well educated to understand the laws as much as possible. Through this, their role in ensuring justice can not be eroded by such things as pleasure, pain, fear and desire (430a). They gain this kind of focus through the virtue of courage and thus help in maintaining justice within the city. The producers on the other hand are requir ed to obey authority. For this to happen, the producers are supposed to possess the virtue of moderation which creates harmony, unanimity and agreement amongst all members of the city. The issue of who is to lead is settled this way and everybody works together thus ensuring justice. Moderation can not be divorced from justice as it enables everybody to play their particular role and â€Å"everyone must practice one of the occupations for which he is naturally suited.† (433a). The three classes of people that work harmoniously to ensure justice in the city now lead us to what justice should be in the human soul. The human soul has more than one single driving force; people are indecisive when making some choices, some part of their soul stops them from pursuing their desires and thus there is internal conflict. The part of the soul that is calculative and questions the other part is the rational part of the soul. Then there is the irrational part which is lustful and appetiti ve (439d). Emotions are created by the part of the soul that is spirited, which in times of internal conflict may ally the rational part against the irrational part of the soul thus the person ends up making a rational decision. The analogy between the city and the person is then clear; that the rational part

Planning and Decision Making Essay Example for Free

Planning and Decision Making Essay Planning and decision-making are critical processes for effective police administration because: (1) planning is the first step to the effective operation and good management of a police department; (2) planning is the essential element of decision –making; (3) effective planning can eliminate or reduce potential catastrophe resulting from manmade and natural disasters; (4) decision making can usually be described in three types of theoretical models rational, incremental, and heuristic none of which defines all of the elements and factors that affect every decision; (5) the decisions individuals make during crisis situations often define their leadership abilities and, in some cases, their career success; (6) police administrators rarely act alone and most decision making within a police department is conducted at the group level; and (7) decision making is rarely perfect, and is often marred by individual and group weakness that can be identified and hence, avoided. (Swanson, 2012) Yes I agree on my topic with what the author is talking about, because planning and decision making from personal experience is very big. Making decision is very stressful at times that will lead to depression that comes with giving up and frustration that might makes you uncertain of making the best choice. Planning is the most basic function of management. It preceded other functions because a manager plans before he acts. Planning involves determination the objectives and selecting courses of action that will lead to the achievement of predetermined objectives. I don’t like to plan because I get over my head, and too excited and can’t wait for the day to come.

Climate Change And The Kyoto Protocol Politics Essay

Climate Change And The Kyoto Protocol Politics Essay The Kyoto Protocol under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international agreement that serves to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% by 2012. The Protocol was adopted on December the 11th, 1997 in Kyoto, Japan and then kicked off on 16 February, 2005. This lengthy timespan was as such due to the terms agreed upon in Kyoto, stating that at least 55 parties had to ratify the agreement and the total combined emissions of the ratifying parties had to equal at least 55% of the global production of greenhouse gases. The official rules as to the implementation of the Protocol are called the Marrakesh Accords as they were agreed on at the 7th Conference of the Parties (COP7) in Marrakesh, 2001. All parties that sign and ratify the protocol are committed to reduce emissions of Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous oxide, Hydrofluorocarbons, Perfluorocarbons and Sulphur hexafluoride. Should the participant countries fail to reduce their emissions to target levels, they are required to engage in emissions trading (the buying of credits from other participating countries that are able to exceed their targets in order to offset the emissions so that the collective target of reduction by 5.2% can still be reached). Under the Protocol, countries have to monitor and keep exact records of trades carried out. They also are responsible for monitoring the progress towards their emission targets and a compliance system is put in place to ensure that parties meet their commitments as well as helping them do so should they have problems. The Protocol is designed to assist countries to adapt to the Negative effects of climate change and it facilitates development and distribution of means that could help counter act the impacts of climate change. The Kyoto Protocol is a crucial movement towards a global fight against the reduction of Greenhouse gases. As of September 2011, 191 countries have signed and ratified the protocol with the United States being the only nation to have signed but not ratified the protocol. The Bali Action Plan The Bali Road Map, formulated in 2007 at the Bali Climate Change conference, consists of a number of decisions that that according to the UNFCCC, represent the various tracks that are essential to reaching a secure climate future. The Bali Road Plan incorporates the Bali Action Plan which charted the course for a new negotiating process designed to tackle climate change. All nations at the conference in Bali acknowledged that there is conclusive evidence of global warming and that it is crucial that humans make every possible effort to reduce the risks of the possible severe impacts that climate change could have. The outcome that was reached recognized that there was a need for deep cuts in global emissions and that the emissions of developed countries must fall by 10-40% by the year 2020. The Cancun Agreements Settled on December 11 at Cancun, Mexico, the Cancun agreements represent vital steps to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and building a sustainable future. The objectives of the agreements included: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions over time so that the global average temperature rise is kept below 2 degrees. To encourage participation of all countries in reducing the emissions with proportionality to each countries responsibilities and capabilities. Ensure international transparency of the actions taken by countries. Making sure that global progress towards the long term goal is reviewed on a regular basis. Mobilizing the development and transfer of clean technology to boost efforts to counter climate change. Provide funds in the short and long term to enable developing countries to take greater and more effective action against climate change. Assist vulnerable people in the world to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Protect the worlds forests which are vital to reducing levels of Carbon dioxide and increasing the levels of oxygen. Establish effective institutions and systems which will ensure that these objectives are implemented successfully. (Note: all objectives adapted from http://cancun.unfccc.int/what-governments-will-do-in-2011/ ) The agreements were aimed to move the international action on climate change and global warming forward by primarily bringing countries greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets under the UNFCCC process. COP17/CMP7 COP17 refers to the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Framework Convention on Climate Change, while CMP7 refers to the 7th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol. The COP meets annually to assess and discuss progress in dealing with climate change. They make decisions and adopt resolutions which are all filed in the reports published by the Conference of the Parties. The 17th conference of the parties (COP17) was held in Durban in December 2011. Its purpose and aim was to build on the agreements that were reached during COP16 in Cancun and to establish a new climate change regime. Being a developing country, South Africa would like to see a balance between climate and development initiatives as well as global action that ensures that temperature increases are kept below 2degrees Celsius. Another aim was to have countries design institutions to provide developing countries with adequate and efficient climate support. South Africa also planned on showcasing the way in which climate change affects a developing country as well as the responses it has implemented. At the conference in Durban all goals were eventually reached and decided on with the nations agreeing on: Adopting a universal agreement on climate change A framework for the reporting of emission reductions for developed and developing countries. An urgent support package for developing nations that are suffering the most under the effects of climate change. The package is to include an agreement to form a green climate fund. Canadas withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol On 13 December 2011, Canada withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol stating that it did not represent the way forward for them. It seems that Canada has never stood fully behind the Kyoto Protocol as rather than cutting their emissions by 6%, they were headed for a rise of 16-30%. They stated that should they have decided to remain in the protocol, it would have cost them $13.6 billion in fines or penalties seeing as they failed to reach their target. The Canadian government stated that this would result in a severe blow to their economy and could result in either a mass loss of jobs or approximately an additional $1600 per family in tax so as to accumulate the money to be used for emissions trading with nations that exceeded their targets in order to offset the amount so that Canada could in theory have reached their target. Instead the government ducked out early to avoid any cost and slammed the protocol by stating that it fails to include the worlds two largest greenhouse gas emitters being China and the United States. They said that the protocol only serves to harm hurt Canadas competitiveness and overall it proves ineffective at reducing global emissions. The decision was met with disappointed emotions all over, with environment critic Megan Leslie saying that pulling out only saves Canada from having to report on its failures, she went on to say, What this is really about is the fact that our government is abdicating its international obligations. Its like were the kid in school who knows theyre gonna fail the class, so we have to drop it before that actually happens. Elizabeth May, a life long environmentalist and green party leader went on to say that it is unnecessary and that an agreement could most likely have been easily reached. She is quoted as saying, This is not just big, this is disastrous for Canada, and Im embarrassed to be represented by this government. According to Environment Minister Peter Kent, Canada will now look forward to a more global deal that will incorporate all nations in the fight against climate change and reducing carbon emissions. Canadas withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol means that it is now really only the Europeans that are staying with the Protocol. Canada has now taken a similar stance to the Americans by aiming only to reduce carbon emissions without restricting their growth as a country. As Greenblog states, their withdrawal doesnt change much for the fight against reducing carbon emissions as Canada was never really a part of it seeing as their emissions have increased by 20% rather than decreasing. The blog states that future UN negotiations will certainly become even more polarized and the mistrust created will surely delay, or in worse case even sabotage, efforts to secure a global climate deal for 2020 and beyond. But one thing that is painfully clear now is that a legally binding climate deal does not guarantee countries wont ignore or walk away from their commitments. Their statement is easy to agree with because Canada has now made use of their legal right to walk away. They are now the first country to leave the Protocol and there is no reason why they cant now be joined by more countries. As the Blog states, this opens up a whole new side to the case involving possible instability and distrust between nations which will need to be overcome should the fight against climate change be successful. Countries not in favour of the Kyoto Protocol USA- the USA is not in favour due to the fact that the Protocol does not take into account emissions from developing countries which according to the USA will soon match their own emissions. Australia has not ratified the protocol saying that- it will not ratify the Protocol until the USA does and until developing countries are included. Canada has left the Protocol. Source 1 gives a clear indication of the Participants and the nations not in favour of the Protocol as of 2012. Source 1 Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Kyoto Protocol participation map 2010.png Kyoto Protocol participation map as of February, 2012 Green indicates countries that have ratified the treaty (Annex I II countries in dark green) Brown = No intention to ratify[1] Red = Countries which have withdrawn from the Protocol.[2] Grey = no position taken or position unknown South Africas position on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol The South African Government have taken a stance on climate change that incorporates the fact that the poor will be most severely affected by it even though they have contributed the least to its causes. Due to Africas high level of poverty, they are thus most vulnerable to the effects of Climate Change. The government believes that Climate change is a global problem, which requires global solutions, which can only be attained through the cooperative efforts of all nations and not by a single country working on its own. The government set objectives which are outlined in the National Climate Change Response White Paper. These objectives can be briefly understood as being: To help and support all South Africans affected by Climate Change and to respond to the impacts of it in doing so. To work together with all nations in the international effort to lessen and end the effects of climate change. South Africa agrees with global scientific opinions which have stated that it is vital that the average global temperatures dont rise any more than 2 degrees so as to avoid possible social and environmental consequences. As a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, South Africa contributes its fair share in the fight to lower the global amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted. However they are classified as a developing country and hence they are not subjected to the more demanding commitments placed on developed countries. South Africa has taken an interesting approach toward the greenhouse gas reduction efforts by stating that they believe these efforts should work in tandem with an approach that empowers the poor thus ensuring human dignity while lowering greenhouse gas emissions. This furthers their initial beliefs of he fact that the poor population on the African continent have contributed the least yet suffer the most. The media has not made much of Africas position on the Kyoto Protocol. What we can however gather from previous sources is that nearly all African countries have signed and ratified the treaty. All countries in Africa are also classified as developing, and hence they are subject to less demanding targets for their emission reductions. What we have also learnt is that Africa, because of its poverty, is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and hence it is in the continents best interest that all countries support the global problem of climate change so as to lessen the effects it has on Africa as a continent. Africa should be of a similar belief as South Africa, which is that the poor have contributed least to climate change yet they suffer the most. With this belief, the continent will go a long way to the fight against both poverty and climate change. Somerset College and Climate Change In my opinion there are two main areas of Somerset College that may lead to high carbon emissions. The first area is very direct as it relates to the transport the school uses as well as the vehicles that bring students to and from school everyday. Somerset College sees hundreds if not thousands of cars pass through its gates daily and these cars are responsible for releasing carbon monoxide gases into the air. Not only does it harm our environment but it contributes to a high amount of carbon emissions that affect climate change. The second area involves Somerset Colleges Administration and printing system that is responsible for printing many hundreds of pages of paper for school and admin purposes on a daily basis. This indirectly affects climate change as paper is made from trees that produce oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the air. In this way, carbon emissions wont decrease and hence it makes the school indirectly responsible for letting out carbon emissions. Somerset College have however started moving towards a greener future by printing less and less paper and making everything electronic. They also dont make use of air conditioners and instead use fans. Electricity to certain parts of the school is provided by solar panels and the school has implemented bus services to lessen the amount of vehicles on the property. They have also installed new hot water geysers around the school that reduce energy consumption by nearly fifty percent when compared with the old ones. The school also has an eco-club which ensures that the school is always striving to do what is best for the environment.

Eulogy for my Loving Mother :: essays research papers

Good afternoon, let me just start by saying that the kindness, support, friendship, and love extended to me and my family during this difficult time has really touched my heart- we are sincerely appreciative! During the last moments of my mother’s life she was surrounded by loved ones, as she slowly slipped away into the morning with grace and peace. I can’t begin to express how hard it is for me to stand here before you and give my last respects to my loving mother - name here. From the biography that was handed out you can recall that during the her early years in the united states she studied and worked in New York where she met and married my dad, the love of her life. They spent the rest of their days loyal and in love with one another. Unfortunately, one day my father passed away with cancer at a young age. My dad was the one who suffered the most, but my mom suffered right along with him. She felt powerless, and for my mom- powerlessness turned in to guilt and grief, a painful distress she lived with on a daily basis for the next six years. When he died part of her died! Life for her was never the same again. I was not able to completely understand her loss- until now†¦ Throughout my life my mom has always been selfless and generous- especially when it came to her children and grandchildren†¦ ever putting her self last! SHE WAS MY EVERYTHING†¦ Unlike my sister, I was the one that gave my parents their grey hair†¦ It took me longer than most to mature, and the truth is- that’s putting it mildly. Yet through all the ups and downs, and all the times I would end up disappointing her expectations of me, one thing NEVER changed and that was her belief in me†¦ because of her unconditional love I am the person that I am today†¦ her reassurance and patience made all the difference. Because of her active involvement in my life and Eileen’s she became known to our friends as â€Å"Mama†. Where ever we would go- she would go with us, that’s just the way it was†¦ she got so close to our friends that they formed their own friendship with her.

An Analysis of Margaret Atwoods Siren Song Essay examples -- Siren So

An Analysis of Margaret Atwood's Siren Song Throughout her many years as a poet, Margaret Atwood has dealt with a variety of subjects within the spectrum of relationship dynamics and the way men and women behave in romantic association. In much of her poetry, Atwood has addressed the topics of female subjugation in correlation with male domination, individual dynamics, and even female domination over males within the invisible boundaries of romantic relationships. With every poem written, Atwood's method for conveying the message of the poem has remained cryptic. She uses a variety of poetic devices - sometimes layered quite thickly - to communicate those themes dealing with human emotion. In the poem, Siren Song, Margaret Atwood employs such devices as imagery and tone to express and comment on the role of the dominating "siren" that some women choose to play in their relationships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Siren Song" opens with the feel that the reader has just walked into a story being told by the speaker. It even seems to give the effect of literally walking a few moments late into a storytelling session. In this particular session, the speaker seems to be a woman portraying herself as a siren of ancient Greek lore. In literature, these mythological beings are most frequently described as creatures with the face of a woman and the feathered body of a bird, cursed to exist as such by the goddess Demeter. They were cursed for having stood by during the kidnapping of Demeter's daughter Persephone, when Hades whisked her away to the underworld. The sirens supposedly lived on a series of rocky islands and, with the irresistible charm of their songs, they lured mariners to their destruction on the rocks surrounding the islands. The ima... ... with them without denying herself the right to exist on her own terms. She does not fear her own nature, and she is not afraid to play the dominant role. Being a siren, though, means never truly getting close to anyone - victims do not last long - and so, on some level, her words must be double-edged. She may not be afraid and she may not regret the so-called deaths of these men, but she does seem to regret the death of something else. Perhaps this something else is her own heart, now seemingly incapable of 'normal' sentiment. This siren may not only be a portrait of a specific female role in romantic relationships, but she may also be a form of commentary on that role. The siren may also be seen as a depiction of the loneliness that stems from toying with the human heart. With her song, she provides a warning to the readers about the fate that follows such games.

The Study Of Imagery In Adrian :: essays research papers

In all the aspects of literature, authors use literary devices to add suspense, depth and significance to their works. This concept is valid in 'Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years'; by Sue Townsend . The diary-type story revolves around a young adult named Adrian, who constantly goes through the tragedies of life, but finally with some fortunate fate, achieves to live a life in which he cannot 'fail to see the happiness.'; (p 267) Therefore, in order to make the readers laugh at several tragedies of life, Townsend establishes an accurate use of the literary devices of irony, satire and exaggeration to create a humorous plot.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Irony is a significant literary device, which is used many times to achieve a good sense of humor. A perfect example for a use of irony is seen in the description of the psychologist of the main character, Lenora.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   'After all, she was just a psychologist. God ! She wasn't ! Apart from Pandora [his infatuated love] she was probably the loveliest woman I have ever spoken to. I found it hard to take my eyes off her black suede shoes with high heels. ' (p. 35)';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before the entrance of Adrian to the psychologist's room, he obviously does not expect much of a physical appearance. However, after he enters the room, ironically, Lenora turns out to be a smashing woman. Another use of irony is present in Adrian's description of his mother in the new year's eve: 'As she slopped wine into a plastic glass for me, I could have a chance to take a close look at her. Her lips were surrounded red, her hair was blonde and glossy. Her cleavage wrinkled and her belly protruded from the little black dress (very little) she wore. The poor woman was forty-seven, and twenty-three years older than her second husband.'; (p. 3) Here, first Mrs. Mole is described as if she is a twenty-year-old girl, but in the end of the description, he reveals her actual age – 47 – which is rather ironic for such an appearance. Last and the most obvious, Adrian's Russia Trip turns out to be ironic: 'Saturday, August 17th: There is no cruise ship. There are no passengers. Each member of our party is paddling their own canoe. I am crouched inside a two-man tent. Outside are swarms of huge, black mosquitoes. They are waiting for me to emerge. With a bit of luck, I will die in my sleep.

Creative writing – A Christmas to remember

For the first time in her life, Catherine Benson faced the prospect of spending Christmas alone. With a mixture of fond thoughts of the past and the sadness, she recalled the Christmas's of her childhood happy times full of love, laughter and family togetherness. However, this year, her parents were spending Christmas with her brother, who was happily married and with a family of his own. He lived In Wales. Of course, ever since college there had been Anthony. But even thinking the name now bought pain of sadness and loneliness. Anthony and Catherine had been inseparable. They has so many plans for the future. They'd shared dreams and so she thought, they shared lives. But that had all crumbled to dust in the last few months. The love she thought would last forever had failed to stand the first major test of their relationship. Sighing, she draped the last piece of tinsel over the branches of her small tree and stepped back to cast a critical eye upon it. It barely seemed worth the effort just for herself. Some how the tree and the fireplace, served only to make her situation seem little more worthwhile. If only she could get Anthony McBride out of her mind as effectively as he had removed himself from her life. But he crept into her thoughts at the most weirdest times and though it had been several hard painful weeks since they had split up, she'd been unable to let go of her deep feelings for him, she couldn't ignore them. â€Å"We're having a couple of friends over for Christmas Eve. Catherine please say you'll come.† Louise Andrews enticed at work the next day. New friends and a new job had given her something to focus on after Anthony. But, unused to being single, and still nursing her broken heart, Catherine had shied away from taking up a social life again. â€Å"I don't know, Louise.† She said answered cautiously. â€Å"Come on.† Her friend replied joyfully. â€Å"It's Christmas-the last of the century! It'll only be a small gathering I promise.† Smiling, Catherine allowed herself to be persuaded. Perhaps Louise was right. With the millennium coming up, it was time to cast off the past and to look forward to the future with hope and new years resolutions. So on the night before Christmas, she found herself hovering anxiously outside the door of the flat that Louise shared with her fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, Dominic. Very nervously she took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. â€Å"Catherine I'm so glad you decided to come.† Louise greeted her with a warm smile. â€Å"These are for you† Catherine handed over a bottle of wine and a big box of chocolates. â€Å"Sorry it's not very original.† â€Å"They're lovely! Let me take your coat and get you a drink, then I can introduce you to everyone.† Catherine hesitated in the doorway of the nicely decorated living room. Soft relaxing music played in the background, and half a dozen people stood in small groups, chatting and laughing. â€Å"You'll soon relax and find everyone really friendly. Dominic has invited a friend from the gym. He'll be feeling just as nervous as you, trying to get back into the swing of things as a single person after the break up of a long-term relationship.† â€Å"Now I hope you're not matchmaking.† Catherine protested with an anxious smile. â€Å"Maybe just a bit.† Louise teased. â€Å"Dominic says his friend is funny, generous and compassionate, and if he's half as good looking as I've been lead to believe, you'll be thanking me before the evening is over.† Catherine doubted it, but she held her tongue. Slipping her wine, she curbed the sudden instinct to run. She had to face some people some time. â€Å"I thought you'd ducked out on me.† Dominic greeted his guest when the door opened. â€Å"I did wonder about coming, but I knew if I didn't I would never hear the end of it. Sorry if I'm late.† â€Å"That's okay. It's only a buffet supper and we haven't started yet. Come and meet the others, what will you have to drink?† â€Å"Beer if you have it, thanks.† He replied. Stepping intensively inside the flat. Anthony asked himself for the hundredth time what he was doing here. Parties weren't his thing; he'd tended to shy away from social gatherings of any kind in the last few weeks, turning himself into work and sport instead. Following Dominic into the kitchen, he leaned on the counter and watched as his friend poured the drinks. â€Å"Louise has bought a friend from the bank I think you should meet.† Dominic said cautiously. Anthony's heart sank. â€Å"I don't want to meet anyone, not like that anyway.† â€Å"She's lovely Anthony, she's been hurt badly herself, so she knows how difficult it is to take the plunge and meet new people. Give her a chance; she's funny and intelligent. You'll like her.† Strongly wishing he hadn't come, but unable to walk away, Anthony followed his friend through to the other room. The sound of the lively conversation daunted on him for a moment, and he hesitated on the threshold. As soon as he entered the room, a tingle of awareness caught him by surprise. He scanned the room, and then he saw her. Catherine. His breath caught in his throat. Suddenly, it was as if the last painful, lonely weeks had been stripped away. She was here, in the same room, looking as lovely as ever, but unapproachable and out of his reach. Before he could retreat, Catherine turned and saw him. Shock registered on her face. His mouth tightened, just as she had been shutting him out in the last few weeks they'd been together. â€Å"Come and meet Carolyn† Dominic suggested. â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..I..† His friend brushed his protest aside. â€Å"She was very broken up over the split with her fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. But she told Louise that he just never listened to her.† Dominic confided quietly. Catherine had said that? Stunned, Anthony didn't resist as Dominic steered him across the room. Catherine couldn't believe that Anthony was here. What a disaster. Just the sight of him had brought back all the pain and heartache and it had taken only a second to confirm her worst fears. Despite everything, she still loved him. â€Å"That's the friend of Dominic's I was telling you about.† Louise whispered, pushing her forward. They met in the middle of the room. If it hadn't have been so embarrassing it would have been funny. But she was too hurt, too shocked to laugh. And it was clear that Louise and Dominic had no idea what was happening. â€Å"We'll leave you to get to know each other.† Louise smiled. â€Å"You have so much in common.† Dominic said innocently. Louise and Dominic sneaked off quietly. â€Å"I didn't think I would ever see you again.† Catherine managed to say after a tense moment. â€Å"How have you been?† Anthony said awkwardly. â€Å"Not good.† She admitted. â€Å"You?† â€Å"The same.† Anthony absorbed everything about her, every single feature of her was the same, except the fact that she was thinner and her complexion had lost the happy healthy glow that it was had. â€Å"Did you really say that I never listened to you?† Dominic enquired. She nodded, her hands nervously fiddling in front of her. â€Å"Well you thought that I didn't need you anymore.† Catherine replied. â€Å"You shut me out!† â€Å"No I never, you weren't interested you were always so busy with work, you never had time for me. You never took time to really listen to me, not like used to.† Anthony took a step back, remembering all the silly quarrels that had taken their toll on their relationship. Catherine realized that neither of them had listened to each other. Everyone regrouped to enjoy the buffet supper. Neither of them ate anything, they were too busy thinking about what they had said to each other. And what now, did he still care for her as she cared for him? She met his gaze across the room. How could she loved him so much and not realize how he was feeling? Was there a chance they could get back together, could he forgive her? Anthony tried to mix with the other guests, but he couldn't stop thinking about Catherine. Could she forgive him for all the hurt and pain he had caused her? The weeks without her had been dreadful, and seeing her again had only made him realize how much he really needed her. Was it too late? At last the gathering broke up. Anthony said goodbye and left the flat, but instead of going straight home, he waited outside for Catherine to appear. â€Å"Thank you for this evening.† Catherine murmured. She slipped on her coat and left. As she was leaving the building she felt disappointed that Anthony had left and nothing happened between them. A figure emerged from the shadows as she left the building and stepped onto the pavement. â€Å"Oh.† She gasped. â€Å"I thought you had gone.† She said. Relieved with the fact the he had waited for her. â€Å"Can I walk you home?† Anthony asked. â€Å"Thank you I'd like that.† They walked side by side. Catherine felt nervous, uncertain what to say, but scared if she said nothing at all. Just being near her made him feel better. He didn't want this chance to slip, but could he find the right words to say? They began to walk slower and slower and gradually they came to a halt, where they turned to each other. â€Å"I'm sorry.† They said in harmony along with a nervous smile. Anthony reached out a tentative hand to take one of hers. â€Å"I've missed you, Catherine.† He whispered. â€Å"I've been so miserable without you.† She replied. Very slowly they drew together and hugged. â€Å"We haven't been very clever.† They agreed with each other. â€Å"Will you take me back, give me a second chance?† Anthony questioned. â€Å"Only if you will. Look it's snowing.† Across the road the church bell struck midnight. Christmas day. â€Å"Shall we go in?† Anthony asked. â€Å"Yes please, we have so much to give thanks for.† She agreed. Behind them another couple strolled slowly towards the church. â€Å"They'll be alright now.† Louise pronounced with satisfaction. â€Å"Shall we tell them we knew all along?† Dominic asked. â€Å"Maybe one day, but not just yet.† Squeezing her hand as they walked up the steps, Dominic knew he was equally lucky in the love that he had. â€Å"Happy Christmas, Louise†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ 