Just A Substitute: The Wife He Failed
ie
e never
of lifting into the clouds and leaving
before my body shut down on the cold, u
ack in the
as stronger this time, choking ou
t in Fl
ack in
ke," a soft
sn't
se I hadn't
itying eyes and hands that didn't trembl
ing the flow of the IV drip. "He was frantic. You
hus
my gaze to
as stand
nd his eyes bloodshot, as if he hadn't s
phone, his thumbs fl
he asked, with
er tone firm. "But she
lly shoving the dev
and reached for my hand-
tucking it beneath
hovering in the e
sound of frustra
his voice tight. "You scared us. Run
ldi
n the air, heav
the energy to argue. I didn't
felt...
umbness where my
ancing at his watch. "She... she took your
rse sh
I whis
need to be
licking shut with a finality
ed into
pain settling into a dull, constant throb-a
t, I started ma
nes th
's tablet when s
the Florence Academy of Art. I di
the one Marcus had once
asking for
the hallway was
left the
heard
noise. Like heavy
lled at my skin. Through the crack in the do
a priva
e's
ed, clutching a photograph. Her face
torious look I was used
oto in half. Th
flutter to the floo
me go?" she sobbe
room opened, and
ti of paper on th
d my
ost haunting the peri
. His voice was raw,
!" she s
arcus! You married
e her!" Marcu
me made
eep the company! To keep you
to his
ments of the photo. His hands, usually s
his voice dropping to a desperate w
egacy. I would burn it all dow
on't you?"
build a world where w
to together on his knee. It was a pic
tle longer," he
ned away
guarding the taped-up phot
back from
pounding, but
cla
outside my room, chang
, really," o
ar her when she got sick in high school. His pare
k with the wife,"
or
wi
obst
ed arm. I looked at
hat I wasn't figh
A tragedy written long befor
protagonist
even th
just a
n't bleed. T
iscarded when t
tablet hidden
Received, th
mil
cold an
't be di
myself out o