missy
slept
i
fled
walked,
roamed
drank
till i couldn’t
feel
my face
fell
asleep on a beach
woke
to cold ocean air
phone
filled with queries
from
missy
i
threw it into
the
surge of the sea
eased
into
the day
coffee
water
diet
pepsi and a sandwich
just
one cigarette
it
reached rush hour
i
started drinking
bar
hopped
walked
stopped
at
a convenience store
more
smokes
overheard
a clerk
at
the other register by the door
telling
a woman
her
card was declined
and
she couldn’t buy
the
baby formula
when
i heard her beseech
something
reached deep
inside
it
was jenny
about
to cry
i
walked up and paid the clerk
she
said nothing
but
handed me the bag
and
pushed the baby stroller
to
the car
i
followed
stood
as
she put our daughter
in
the car seat
she
got into the driver’s seat
started
the engine
unlocked
all the doors
i
got in
she
drove
i
noticed she was on empty
told
her to pull into
a
gas station
i
filled her tank
got
back in
no
other words were spoken
back
at the place
i
had left one night
not
too long ago
and
just never returned
she
parked
took
our daughter in
while
i sat there holding the sack
i
went in
she
took the formula
i
took a seat on the couch
slouched
fell
asleep
*
woke
up weak and sick
jenny
gave me a popsicle stick
with
electrolytes
and
started breakfast
after
i ate
she
put our daughter in my lap
took
my wallet
left
*
daughter
down for a nap
jenny
came back
arms
full of groceries
put
them on the counter
and
asked me to join her
on
the balcony
she
closed the sliding glass door
behind
me
turned
and covered my cheek
with
a slap
went
back inside and started
putting
away groceries
i
lit a smoke
watched
her through the glass
and
when i saw her take beer
form
a bag
and
put it in the frig
i
said in soliloquy
“i
guess i’m home”
***
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