Hard to imagine life without her. When the hell did everything start to unravel?
He sat alone in the shell of their apartment nursing his second Dewars. Once upon a time this place was alive with people enjoying one of their famous dinner parties. He could hear the sound of her spirited laugh when someone told a dirty joke.
They were the perfect couple, the envy of all their friends. Theirs was an easy, comfortable marriage. They were in sync in their choices of restaurants, paint colors and the biggest decision of all .ā¦ neither one wanted kids.
Two prompts today: Weekend Writing Prompt and Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge ~ to include the words ‘bridge’ & ‘turmoil’, all in 53 words. Here is my story.
There are certain lines that exist in society, even among the closest of friends, lines not meant to be crossed.
She not only crossed the line ā¦. she hurtled the bridge and jumped the shark.
And why? Sheās only human and carelessly, regrettably didnāt think things through; now her brain is in turmoil.
Yesterday my MC had just emailed his estranged wife andwas hoping for a reply, a Christmas miracle. Here’s where we left off. Let’s continue:
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Push send and cross my fingers that Annie hasn’t changed her email address. Going to bed and will say a prayer for a Christmas miracle…..
I woke up early again today; itās Christmas morning. Iām anxious and afraid to check my email. Can I bring myself to read beyond the first couple of words? Instead, I decide to wait just a bit and pour myself a cup of coffee. I sit looking out the window as the woodpeckers hop from branch to branch finding their way home.
Did Annie get my email? Will she answer me? I guess I can put off the inevitable for only so long. I decide to check my computer; nothing. My heart is shattered and I crumble onto the chair . What a fool I was to wait so long to reach out to her.
It’s early afternoon now and the luscious aroma of roasting turkey is wafting through every room in the house; I canāt bear the thought of eating Christmas dinner alone. When everything is done cooking, Iāll pack up all the food and bring it to the soup kitchen; at least someone will reap the benefits of my stupidity.
I clean up, get dressed and pour myself a glass of wine. Perhaps Iāll sit by the tree and listen to some Christmas music while the turkey finishes doing its thing. The happy tunes coming from the radio do not match my mood and then, as if by simply willing it to happen, a melancholy song starts up. I never thought I would be spending Christmas like this …. alone, broken-hearted and in tears.
I hastily wipe at my eyes with the back of my hands and turn off the radio. No more music today. Time to see how the dinner is coming along. On my way into the kitchen, I glance out the window at the woodpeckers. Standing by the once useless wheelbarrow, suitcase in hand, is my Annie. She gives me a slow, sweet smile and a little wave.
Without stopping to think “Is this real?”, I flew down the stairs and out the back door. Thank you, God, for second chances.
Taking a short break tocelebrate Christmas with my family. Rebooting an old favorite from 2021; some of you have seen it; many haven’t. š«
My Dear Annie,
It took about ten minutes of me staring at a blank computer screen before I started typing this email ā and thatās just today. Iāve been doing the same thing every day for the last eight months. I’ll type a paragraph, then delete it. The idea of reaching out to you began thirty seconds after you left our house and closed the door on our life together. I have about a thousand thoughts and questions swirling around in my brain, much like the snowflakes dancing in the wind in our backyard.
I got up early and made myself a cup of coffee, then sat by the kitchen window and watched the birds at the feeders. Youāll be happy to know the red-headed woodpeckers have returned, just as they always do. How I wish you would return to me, too.
I held my coffee cup up to my nose and inhaled the rich aroma of dark roast. Iām drinking from that cup you gave me ages ago with COOL BEANS scrawled across the front. I use it every day and always think about you (not that I need a reminder) and Iāve decided that today will be the day I must summon the courage to write to you to say “I’m sorry”.
You see, tomorrow is Christmas Day and I canāt think of a better time to tell you whatās on my mind. If I donāt do it today who knows if I ever will? I miss you, Annie. I miss you so damn much it literally hurts. My heart aches for you and my stomach churns when I realize what a first class jerk I was to let you slip through my fingers.
I donāt know what I was thinking. No, I take that back; I do know. I was thinking aboutmyself ā me, myself and I. What a stupid, selfish idiot I was. Iām sure youād agree with that assessment. Iām equally sure thereās a spot for me in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest fool ever. How could I expect you to put your dreams and plans on hold while I pursued mine?
If Iāve come to realize anything over these last few months itās the fact that what I want in life isnāt more important than what you want and all my achievements are not worth a damn without you.I am so sorry for not seeing that sooner.
When I finally realized how empty my life was without you and how much I yearned to be sharing and living our dreams together, you were long gone. I donāt blame you one bit; if I was you, I would have left me, too. Iām useless without you and Iām so ashamed that I put myself before you.
Do you remember that old wheelbarrow we found last year buried under weeds and ivy? It was missing its wheel and was of no use to anyone. You had the brilliant idea of transforming it into a planter instead of throwing it away. I have also lost my wheel, my direction in life and I find I canāt do anything without it, without you. I need you to help bring me back to life, to give me purpose. I need your forgiveness.I need you.
I was driven by my obsession for success and power more than anything else ā more than putting you first, more than your deepest desire to start a family. How could I have deprived you of that? How could I have deprived us of that? How could I have been so blind not to see that was exactly what I wanted too? Well, I screwed up royally. All thesuccess and power I ever wanted are mine now but they are hollow victories. The price was too dear ā losing you and everything that was and might have been, that should have been. I wake up alone in our bed and come home to an empty house. And all day, every day, I simply exist like a wheelbarrow without a wheel.
I have no idea where you are, how you are or what youāre doing. I pray that you havenāt lost all faith in me, even though that may be what I deserve. That would surely destroy me because my love for you is stronger than ever. I wouldnāt blame you for not believing what Iām about to say but I would do anything, give up everything just to have you by my side once again. I am empty inside without you and Iām begging for a second chance. My one hope that I cling to every day is the fact that I havenāt been served with divorce papers ā¦. yet. Please tell me thereās a chance for us, a chance that you can possibly forgive me.
Christmas Day. What a blessing it would be to have you back, to have you tellme weāre going to be okay! How grateful I would be for the opportunity to show you how much I love you and need you in my life!
Don’t laugh but I’m going to attempt to prepare my very first Christmas dinner by myself. I bought a small turkey, all the fixings and a lovely bottle of wine .ā¦ just enough for two. It would give me the greatest joy to share the day with you and every day after that, to hold you in my arms and make all the sorrow go away.
Annie, if only you could sprout wings and fly home tome like the woodpeckers! Will you come home for Christmas? Please come back to me and never leave.
I love you so very much.
Charlie
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Push send and cross my fingers that Annie hasn’t changed her email address. Going to bed and will say a prayer for a Christmas miracle.
The Elephant's Trunk 