AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The driver interrupted my sad take on life as he said, “Ma’am, I’d just find a parking lot to hold on to so you can put yourself together. Then I’d head over to your destination. You need some time to relax.”
“Oh, so sorry. I forgot I hadn’t given you the address. Wellington Street. House 8, Wellington Street.”
“Alright, I’ll head over there right away.”
The voice of the Artificial Intelligence persona on the map indicated he had inputted my address on the application. At least this AI didn’t experience heartbreak in any form like I am currently experiencing.
After what feels like seven years of torture with the long ride home, he pulls into my driveway, and I pay him for the fare.
Before I head out, he says to me, “I know you didn’t ask for my advice or opinion, but I just need to assure you that in the end, life always turns out fine.”
There was no strength in me to argue over what he just said, so I nodded, hoping everything would automatically turn out fine for me.
“Thank you,” I say as I step out of the vehicle and proceed to my front door.
My eyes turn to his house, and his car is absent from the driveway. Is he still at the office? Maybe he needed his own space, too. That would make two of us.
I rush into my room after locking the door behind me.
The mirror reflects a woman who has gone through turbulent roller coasters that she never wanted to get on.
My eyes were red and swollen like I had been hit violently at every turn of the adventure. Who would believe I had walked out of the house this morning looking presentable, only to come back looking like a shadow of myself?
I run a hot bath for myself as I prepare a cup of coffee to douse my sadness.
The heat of the water pierces through my body and hits every nerve, but I am less concerned and wonder if it could wash away my pain, too.
My mind flashes back to my senior year when Damien and Kelvin came around to celebrate with me. He brought a bouquet, three pairs of different-colored sneakers, a fitness wrist watch, and a sweatshirt with ‘Miss Kitten’ written on it.
These items he got were because he knew me so well and the things I genuinely loved.
He knew I loved flowers; roses and tulips were my favorite. I would always pick a pair of sneakers over heels or any other type of footwear. They are my comfort shoes.
I used to run every morning. Hence, I needed a fitness wrist watch to keep track of my steps. The inscription on the sweatshirt emphasized my love for cats even though I have never brought myself to have one because I don’t think I could care for it as I should.
He knows me better than anybody else. Beyond knowing me, he paid attention to the tiniest details and acted on them as often as possible to my advantage.
The water turns warm and then cold, which is my signal to leave. I get into my bedroom and fish out the sweatshirt he had given to me to pair with my loose pants.
I head down the stairs to grab another cup of coffee with a leftover slice of avocado sandwich I had earlier.
As the coffee maker beeps, there is a knock on my door, and I can already tell who it is from the noise of screeching tires I heard a few minutes ago.
Deciding between opening the door or pretending like I had not given attention to the insistent knocking is a struggle, but I finally give in. He wins.
I swing the door open, and he stands right there looking as distraught as I did, or even worse.
His eyes dart toward my sweatshirt, and I’m sure he recognizes it with how his eyes tweak in conviction.
“I’m so sorry, Lea. Please, forgive me.”
He says as he looks into my eyes, searching for a response if I am not ready to give him one with my mouth.
The blast of the chilly wind moved towards our direction, and I could not keep him standing outside. At least, that is the excuse I give myself.
“Come in,” I say to him as I shut the door, leaving the wind to feast on the trees and everyone out there.
He didn’t wait for me to sit down completely before he began his explanations.
