Live In Reality

“This had better be some joke,” Chantal muttered as she led her friend to the guest room of her small condo. “This had better be some cruel, fucking joke.”

“It’s not,” Lenore shook her head. “I walked out. I couldn’t deal with it at that moment.”

Chantal sighed and pulled her friend into a hug. “Do you want to talk about it? Did he say anything? Ask you anything?”

“No to all of those. Can we deal with it in the morning? I just…,” her voice trailed off.

Nodding, Chantal brushed a stray tear off of her friend’s cheek. “Whatever you want, Len. I’ll let you get to sleep. You know where to find me.”

****

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lenore stared at the small object in her lap. It was a pocket watch and had belonged to her father. It was one of the many trinkets he had left her and Lenore had always been fascinated by it. She had only recently started carrying it around with her.

Looking at it, Lenore put her head in her hands. If you had told her three months ago that she would be walking out of the home she shared with Sidney just days before the Olympics, she would have laughed in your face. But, oh, how quickly you forget things.

“What is going on?” she asked the pocket watch. “What’s happened to us?”

Realizing that she’d just spoken to an inanimate object, she jumped up and tucked it into the depths of her tote bag.

Getting ready for bed, Lenore reached up to take the necklace off that Sidney had given her for Christmas. It was a dainty thing, lightweight and made of silver. It was an infinity symbol with tiny diamonds throughout it. Trying to force herself to undo the clasp, Lenore shook her head. She knew she wasn’t taking it off. So instead, she shrugged off her lightweight hoodie and exchanged it for one of Sidney’s. Yes, she had left. But that didn’t mean she still didn’t love him.

Going downstairs, Lenore made herself a mug of tea and settled herself onto the couch in the darkened living room. Hopefully, sleep would come.

****

Several rooms away, Chantal sat on her own bed. But instead of a dead father’s pocket watch, a BlackBerry sat in her lap as she tapped away on it feverishly.

‘What the fuck happened to proposing? You had better fix this Crosby. If you cause my friend anymore heartbreak… you’ll be what’s breaking.’

‘You think I wanted it to happen? I’m terrified she’s not coming back.’

Chantal shook her head. Boys could be so stupid. He needed her guidance in this situation.

‘She still loves you like mad. I’ve got a plan…’

‘I’m game for anything.’

Smiling to herself, Chantal tapped out one last message.

‘Let’s chat then. Give me a call…’