Pat

A Tragedy

When I got home the lights were out so I went straight to the bedroom. Gabe was sitting at the reading chair by the window deep in thought. He saw me and stood up and I went and hugged him.

“I love you Gabe,”

“I love you too Liz,”

“I don’t know what happened before I lost my memory but it’s you I want to spend my life with. I’ve not been a good wife and made you live in constant fear of losing me and I’m sorry about that. You are the one for me and that will never change,”

“You don’t know how I longed to hear you say those words,”

“I’m saying them to you right now and I’ll say them to you for the rest of our lives,”

True to her words, Pat didn’t let go just because I asked her too. She’d pass by our house as the kids left for school because she knew they wouldn’t ignore her.

Chance confessed that he was the one who insisted on meeting Pat so I let them have their classes as usual. Just because she and I couldn’t be together I couldn’t separate her from Chance. However, Gabe suggested we move to make things less awkward around the three of us and I agreed with that.

We lived two years blissfully. No Pat in sight and I gave Gabe my undivided attention but I’d be lying if I said Pat didn’t cross my mind more often than I cared to admit. However, those two years were the best because I was aware of my feelings and where I was directing them.

I had made a conscious decision to love Gabe and show him the love he showed me. I started joining him during his work out sessions at the gym.

Unfortunately, bad things happen to good people or as they say nothing lasts forever.

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“Babe, stop the car,” he said as we headed home. I had driven out of the gym parking lot.

“What’s wrong?”

“I left my gym shorts in the locker,”

“Just call Paul and ask him to keep them safe for you till tomorrow,”

“Not these ones, I need them washed. If possible I’ll come back with them tomorrow. I like how you compliment on my butt when I’m wearing them,”

“I don’t compliment on your butt,”

“You just continuously stare at it as you drool,”

“I can’t help it,”

“I know it’s part of the reason you come to the gym with me,”

“I will not respond to those allegations,”

“Three minutes and I’ll be back,”

“Fine, you better run because I’m not turning off the engine,” I said pulling over at the side of the road.

“Two minutes,” he gave me a kiss and got out of the car.

Less than a minute later I heard an almost deafening bang before I heard what sounded like thunder behind me. I looked out the rear view mirror and saw the building next to the gym building crumbling down taking the two buildings next to it with it.

I felt my whole body go numb and my ears were still ringing from the bang. When I came back to my senses, all I kept thinking about was Gabe so I tried calling him but he wasn’t picking up. I couldn’t help but think about the worst but he finally picked up.

“Babe, where are you?” I asked.

“I’m still at the gym but we are caved in,”

“Who are you with?”