HIS WIFE, MY HEART

d of fire that doesn'

oud, of rain-soaked shoulders, of a borrowed blazer still scented with cologne

grows q

close eno

-

Sofia, Not at the office, not in t

space to catch their breath, to remember how clos

ay morning, his heart reacted

er? Just need to g

reen, for a moment,

h

y w

-

at the gr

en panes and wild vines-the

nd sat with her legs crossef near the cracked fountain. She was wearing jeans

trying to disappear from

she said after a long silence. "Every

"You don't ha

tly. "That's wh

and distant car horns taking over the backg

e lightning," she said. "Like a shock to the system. Now

"Are you saying you'

pa

th

eath c

. "No, Not saying that,

e, unsure whether to feel r

how it feels like to be loved gently, Not t

rve that,

ly, carefully. "And what

ned hi

sed

finally, "Maybe just som

-

ough to touch, the air between them heavy with words left

n't pu

pped near a bench, She

os

cl

as she set her coffee dow

e even doing?" she

w," he said,

is like it's nothing, But

is t

m then with eyes

mar

kno

evil,Jus

kno

d. "You deserve someon

said with a call but a steady vo

at their hands,

was the

ember later, whether o

he reache

s inte

a

conf

r hand,

not let

-

the coffee went cold, until the birds qui

out, glanced

," sh

go of h

t answer

she said after i

ut neither o

ija

wai

I don't want you to t

d. "I know

s the p

-

t his ceiling, his arms behind his head, Charlie

felt

it wasn't

't just

ething wit

hing

gerously clos