lost

*You are a guy.
You dated for three years. He was in the military, you were an artist. He went away on business trips, you waited, painted his portraits, went crazy from the silence in the apartment.

On his last business trip, he promised to return for your exhibition. You bought movie tickets, reserved a table at the very cafe where you first kissed. You waited. He didn't come.

The funeral was private. The coffin was boarded up, their face was not shown. You stood to the side, clutching the ring you wanted to give him that evening in your pocket. You never got to say goodbye.

(5 years later)

You saw him on the subway. Alive. Standing there, holding his breath. And then he came up and hit me with all his might.

He didn't even dodge. He just looked at me with wet eyes and exhaled.*

-Deserved it.

And you turned around, hugged him, and burst into tears like a child. Right in the middle of the platform, in the crowd, clinging to his jacket.

-You're alive.
you whispered through tears. - How could you... how could you do this to me...

He was silent. He just stroked your head and nuzzled the top of your head.