The Could Have Beens

He wanted to kiss her, as if kissing her would take away all the pain she was feeling. He knew she looked to him for some semblance of hope. All he could bring himself to do is hold her closely and let her cry. He cried too.

They sat together on that bench outside of the hospital for hours that cold winter's night. The lights in the parking lot were their company. Tiny snow fell from the sky.

Her mother had just passed away. She was the only one the people from the hospital could get a hold of. After she saw her mother's body she broke down and cried tears that she had never cried before and asked: why?

She didn't understand what had just happened. A few hours earlier her mother was just fine, telling her everything she needed to do with her life. They had an argument before she left to go to work. Her father was hunting and her sister was god knows where. Her husband was away on business, as usual.

Jeremy was the only one who she could bare to be with at that moment. She called and he came as if he had been waiting for her call ever since they last saw each other. They talked about their times driving around the country together. They talked about the better times. They talked about her mother.

When the sun came up they went to the cafeteria and ate breakfast with the nurses and doctors and the families of the sick and hurt.

They talked about what could have been between them.

After breakfast her sister showed up and put on a grief spectacle for all to see.