The Sins of Regret

Chapter 5

"Oh, god, Ross." Bridget sighed.

"That's right, Bridget" God sighed, his voice tinged with a hint of boredom, "How else would you expect a man in love to react?"

"I... I didn't know."

Laughter filled the room, "What do you mean you didn't know? Are you blind? Wait, I'm God, I know you're not."

"What are you talking about?" she grumbled.

A wall of light exploded before her and a scene appeared in it.

*

Bridget and Ross sat side by side under a twisted old tree off to the edge of a forest line by a park. The stars shone brightly above them.

Bridget sighed and shifted closer to Ross.

"I love the outdoors," She said, "The fresh, cool air, the amazing lighting..."

"The dirt, the bugs," Ross continued.

She laughed, "I really would love to live out here, though."

"You see, that's what most people would call the life of the hobo, and I'm not letting you do that- Neither would Trevor. So, what's your plan B?"

"California. Live on the beach, and never see snow again."

Ross shrugged, "I like California, sand's not my favorite, but-"

"Are you coming with me?" Bridget interrupted.

"Apartments out there aren't cheap, and you're not gonna live in a sand castle."

"But what about your future?"

"I can be a game developer anywhere. What about you? How are you going to pay your half of the rent?"

"I want to be a historian." She said with a smile.

Ross started to laugh.

"What?" Bridget demanded.

"You're such a nerd."

She playfully slapped his chest, "Says the video game developer."

"Hey, I never said being a nerd was a bad thing. I just said you are one. Do you really want to go all the way to California to study history? We have perfectly good textbooks here."

"I want to do more than just study there."

"What, you want to live there? Grow up there? Get married there." His voice began to fade.

Bridget didn't notice, "Live and grow there, yes. I'd rather get married on some Caribbean Beach."

"What is with you and the sand?"

Bridget sighed, "Oh, come on, you wouldn't want a romantic sunset wedding?"

"Depends on who my wife is." He said with a shrug.

"Well, imagine you're marrying me. Would you rather have me in a clunky white dress with a train six feet long or" she leaned into his face, "a flower necklace, a hula skirt, and a coconut bra."

Ross swallowed hard, "That still sounds terrible, but if I'm marrying you I doubt that I have a choice in the matter." He awkwardly laughed and scratched the back of his neck. "You really want to move to California. Marry some stringy-haired surfer with a bad tan and an elementary school education. Have a couple of kids whose first words would be 'Duuuude' and 'Cowabunga'?"

She shrugged, "It's better than staying here. Marrying some pretentious college graduate. And having a couple of New Mexican kids that can't even speak Spanish." She threw sarcasm on the last statement.

"We're not all that bad. There's Trevor, Joel, Mark, Me..."

"But I don't see any of you guys getting on one knee for me."

Ross scratched his neck again.

"What about you?" Bridget elbowed him in the side, "Is there a girl you're dying to give your name to?"

Ross bit his tongue as he shook his head.

Bridget rested her head on his shoulder, "I'm sure she's coming soon."

He wrapped his arm around her, "I feel like we're about to make one of those pacts. You know, we decide that if neither of us is married by the time we're... twenty-five, we marry each other."

Bridget laughed, "Sounds cliche."

*

The light faded.

"I'm God, so I know that you're not lying. But, the guy asked you to marry him, how could that go so far over your head?"

Bridget covered her face, "You have to let me talk to him. You have to let me tell him that it's not his fault." A lump formed in her throat and her face grew warm.

"I don't have to do anything," he refuted. "Everyone deals with grief differently. If he wants to blame himself, who am I to interfere?"

Bridget rolled her eyes, warm tears rolling down her cheeks. "Obviously, not an all loving deity."

The floor below her erupted in flames. Bridget screamed as her skin blistered and the heat penetrated to the bone. The flames vanished, and her wounds slowly healed.

"You've already made your choice, Ms. Hawthorne. His blood is on your hands."