This is really nicely done!  Good imagery, good metaphor.

10

she goes blank with the thought that maybe some of the air she pulls in is some of the air he pushed out.

He brings his hand, their hands back down slowly and presses his palm against hers. She takes in a breath and holds it in as his fingers fit into the spaces between her knuckles. 

She stays there and waits for a scab to form.

I love your imagery, as always, unfold. Just precious. Your stories are some of my favorites, as this one will be. Thank you so much.

oh my.
I totally get what you mean about skinned knees. it's absolutely something that when we grow up, we lose our fearlessness along the way, and some of the rewards of that fearlessness too.
Thanks so much for this.
cheers.
--Lex

This makes me feel like crying.  I just watched a lot of Def Poetry so I kind of heard this coming at me in my head really fast like a song with that rhythm.  You write beautifully.  Thank you for sharing this.

What a fitting metaphor.  The last line is so sad but such a nice way to wrap that up.

Oh! You have a little typo in your opening line- I think you mean "your" knees.

Beautiful use of an extended metaphor (or whatever you want to call it).  Love the last line, and the whole discussion about recklessness and precaution and persistence -- the point is clear that they're talking about something other than what they're talking about, but it's still subtle somehow.  I didn't feel banged over the head by it, which I attribute to your massively large amount of talent.

I think one of the things I love most about your writing is the vividness with which you convey the scene and the emotion -- They both sit there and let the sound ring until it's gone being my favorite example from this particular piece.  Well, that and your dialogue, because it's always perfectly phrased and poignant.

Vending machine/breakroom love!  Twix bars are amaaaaazing, and then you go and add them into this whole thing, with Jim and Pam and conversations about picking at scabs like there's something to find underneath... you are fabulous.  I don't know how else to say it.