Back when I was getting married and my whole life poured out before me like late night TV movie magic, I would lie awake at night, staring through the ceiling with my eyes closed, thinking of running away with the boy who sat across from me at work. Locked in a supply closet, or left alone in a suddenly abandoned office, we would give in to months of yearning, burning tension with a fiery passion and reckless abandon. Later, my fiance would fight him for me, and ultimately lose, breaking down and crying out how he would never be whole again without me. Then, we would leave Scranton forever and go on to live fabulously successful lives, become famous and appear on the cover of Time magazine, more than once, for doing different amazing things. It was so close, I could taste it on the tip of my tongue, certain that if I opened my eyes it would just be there, be happening.
Here's what actually happened: every morning I wake up, and before I shake off the last vestiges of sleep everything is the same. I walk over to my sink and glance up into the mirror. And it hits me, all at once, heavy and deep so that my knees buckle: you threw the man you loved away.
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Idea gratuitously stolen from Alice Sebold.
purplebelt is the author of 5 other stories.
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