I have a strange habit.
Sometimesā¦
before life has a chance to become somethingā¦
I quietly decide what it should become.
I forecast.
I imagine.
I connect dots that may not even belong together.
Thenā¦
one dayā¦
I caught myself doing it.
What happened next surprised me.
Kindle gray weatherā¦
soothes him.
It calms him.
Before light comesā¦
the sky remains untouched.
Likeā¦
a clean sheet of paper.
Possibility lives there.
Robertoā¦
oh, Robertoā¦
He goes back.
Back to yet another community college.
This timeā¦
heartbroken.
āYouāre going to make someone else happyā¦
but it wonāt be me.ā
She walks away.
Darkness quietly follows.
The gavel slowly falls.
On him.
Itās funny how the mindā¦
tries not to feel pain.
Roberto drifts into the future.
Pleaseā¦
just this onceā¦
let me have what I desire.
The other youā¦
the one he never seesā¦
walks with him.
I walk with him.
Quietly.
He only notices meā¦
when he begins drifting too far.
āIād like a warm embrace.ā
Ahā¦
Roberto.
āOhā¦
I think Elizabethā¦
the girl with the red lipstick-colored glassesā¦
noticed me.ā
Maybeā¦
maybe sheāll like me if she gets to know me.
She stopped to ask me about my drawings during life drawing class.
Charcoal on her cheek.
Curly hair.
Piercing blue eyes.
My heartbeatā¦
moves up an octave.
āSoā¦
can I have your Instagram?ā
Roberto asks.
Warmth spreads through him.
Like sunlight reaching cold skin.
āSure.ā
Now he driftsā¦
like a spaceman floating through space.
āImagine if we dated.
Imagine if she loved me.
Imagine how Iād feel.ā
Poor Robertoā¦
Heās drifting again.
Come back.
āElizabethā¦
would you ever want to hang out outside of class?ā
Warmth begins to cool.
Silence arrives.
Her eyes searchā¦
for the right response.
āRobertoā¦
youāre greatā¦
butā¦
I have a boyfriend.ā
Ahā¦
Roberto.
Iām here.
Sheās simply another traveler.
Living her own story.
Walk beside it.
Donāt steer it.
Roberto walks out of class.
Slowly.
Overthinking.
He pausesā¦
in the middle of the parking lot.
āHey, Roberto.ā
Itās Elizabeth.
āI just wanted to tell youā¦
I admire your art.
See you tomorrow.ā
Roberto smiles.
āThank you.ā
Thank you for the time.
Question for the Reader
Have you ever fallen in love with a future that never actually happened?
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I write original stories and reflections that explore imagination, memory, and the quiet conversations we often have with ourselves. New pieces are published regularly.
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