The Family Affair

We headed out of the shop. The two of us had been eating ice cream and talking for what seemed like hours. Minutes melted together, as if time itself was watching us click. We flowed together. It was beautiful. We spent unusually lengthy amounts of time speaking about things that normally would have burned out quickly. Nothing was too frivolous or trivial. We were communicating. We were having a good time. It was a good time.

We drove down the streets until we ended at her complex. I pushed the gearshift to park, leaving it running as I headed out to escort Del to her door. I turned to press the lock on the cars number pad. We walked up the stairs almost in sync. Each step landing at the same time. Like one giant cliché. This is how it always happens in the movies. I walked her up to the door and she fiddled with her keys for a bit. This is like a poorly directed kissing scene. Was she stalling? I looked up. Yup, the only light in the entire street that’s working is the one illuminating the stoop that we’re on. “Well,” I paused for a minute. Is this really going to happen? “I had a good time, tonight. I mean, when what we did, yea, that was fun.”

She smiled a little bit and nodded, she held her keys in her right hand and her left hand held her right wrist. She swayed back and forth ever so slightly, this is too typical, what’s going on? She took a bit of a step while she was swiveling back and forth. She was right under my chin now, looking up at me with her crystalline eyes glistening in the light.

“Well I guess I have to get going, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” The words paired as I turned and started walking back to my car.

Did that sound as stupid out loud as it did in my head? Did I really just dismiss myself and walk away? I heard the door to the apartment close and I turned. She was gone, just an empty step where the light showed nothing.