A Silver Heart

She was anxiously waiting for a man she wasn’t sure she wanted to see.

She was staring intensely t the black jacket she wore, pulling off every cat hair that clung to the fleece. One by one, each short white imperfection. She was trying to distract herself from the fact that he was late. Only by a mere minute, but it was enough to slowly encourage her fears that he wouldn’t show. Her stomach knotted.

She wondered if he would ever go back to the way he used to be. The man she remembered and she cared for. When she meant the world to him.

The last few years have progressively gotten worse for her, but they both shared the same laid back, easy going attitude that she wouldn’t let anything upset her. She never knew the source of her downfall would be him. She would try again and again to tell him, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him anything that would hurt him.

The dogs asleep on the living room floor, where she perched, opened their eyes and perked their ears. She knew what they must be hearing; his car in the drive way, his feet on the porch, all of them could hear the screen door squeak. Did she really want to see him? It seemed like this visit would just cause more pain in the end.

The knock on the front door sent her heart into a flurry.

She opened the door and saw the same familiar face. The smile that made his eyes crinkle was identical to her own. “Merry Christmas” he said and handed her a small package. His gift for her.

Opening the small box revealed a silver heart shaped necklace. “You are always in my heart” had been engraved into the heart. In return, her defense crumbled, her heart melted, and the two embraced. He could only stay a minute, he had to go back to the airport. With a promise that “We’ll talk more often” he was gone.

She gazed at the beautiful gift, and turned it over in her hands. On the backside was another engraving “Love Dad”

By Kerri Peetz