Drowning | ✓

Collision

He missed our 6 o'clock

dinner date, but

I didn't worry too much because

he never liked to be early, anyway.

He missed 6:30 too, but

even though the seconds were

loud

as they ticked by on my

borrowed watch

I forgot to worry.

But then he missed 7 o'clock too

and I worried

hard

because he never did that.

And then I found out that

he wasn't coming at all and that

I'd have to snatch a lift to the hospital because

someone had been on their phone and

that someone had been trying to drive

all at once

and

that someone had crashed his car

into a wreck.

And I rushed over but they wouldn't let me in because

they said that it was urgent

and

they said that they were operating

and

they said that I'd just have to wait.

They didn't say how long for.

So I sat alone, my heart breaking, shattering into

tiny pieces of hurt

and

pain

and

more hurt.

And I retrieved the folded napkin from my handbag.

Dear Lota,

Will you marry me?