Motel California

I cannot believe that I finally broke up with him. It had been almost a decade that they were going back and forth with each other and it was no longer the best thing for either of them. Of course it was not easy having a young child and no real way to support her, but it was for the best.

The phone keeps ringing. I picked up after I got sick of hearing it. It was the fourth ring.
" Hello? ...Who is this."

There is this strange silence on the other end and it was not sounding like it was anyone I know until a soft, barely audible sound came from the receiver...

"Is this Ana?" A confused young man on the other end asked.

" That's me. Who is this?

"Ummm

I have met you maybe once or twice when you were visiting Rodney up at his dorm maybe? This is Rayna. His sister's friend?"

I struggled to remember just who I was talking to and in the far corner of my memory I pulled out the strange girl with braces who looked far younger than her 21 years.

"Hi, Rayna. What do I owe the pleasure?"

I just had to call because I drew the shortest straw. It was too tough to deliver the news to you but I know it was very important to you that Rodney stayed on his meds and he was doing so good but..."

I didn't need to hear what the words I knew were going to be coming next.

I dropped the phone and started to cry which turned into a scream that did not stop until my mom showed up and grabbed me and held me almost an hour later.

He had finally successfully done what he had been telling us he would do. He had killed himself. He was no longer going to be there for birthday and Christmas and he was gone...just like that.