Memory of Her

FIVE

         

The next morning, I stared at my phone as it sat on my lap. It had been about twelve hours since Elliot had left, and my phone never moved. I thought I would have been excited to go through my phone and figure everything out, but it had just sat there staring up at me. It had buzzed a few times with text messages from Elliot and Veronica, but I never looked at them. In reality, I had been terrified to find out what the past six years had become.

My current life consisted of my mother and I having a decent relationship, from what I could tell, and then there was my fiancé who I shared a business. As the hours ticked away the night before, I realized more and more that I wasn't ready to learn about who I had become. All I could do was stare at the picture-perfect couple that had been Elliot and me, and it had felt unreal and unnatural.

"Are you planning on staring at that black screen all day?" ask a young voice.

I look up to find a young nurse with long red hair staring down at me with a tray of food in her hand. She had light green eyes that you could see from across the room, and her voice had been sweet and calming.

"Excuse me?" I ask staring at her confused.

She pulls out a side table and places the tray of food down on it, "I've come in here twice already this morning, and your eyes have fixated on that screen," she explains. "I thought maybe you were reading something, but from that blank stare on your face, I can tell you haven't bothered getting past the lock screen."

"I'm sorry, who are you?" I question her.

"You can call me Alice," she smiles tenderly, "I'll be your nurse for the remainder of your stay with us."

"Nice to meet you, Alice," I smile up at her then I look back down at my phone as my smile fades.

"Just unlock it," Alice says as she goes through a linen closet that was in my room. She pulls out some fresh pillows then turns back to me, "Worst thing that can happen is you find out that you've become a prostitute."

I let out a small laugh as she walks over to switch out my pillows, "I guess you're right."

"But honestly, Zoë," she fluffs up my new pillows some, "I doubt your fiancée would marry a prostitute. Life isn't like Pretty Woman."

I nod then look down at my phone again and inhale deeply. Alice had been right; this was my life. What could be the worst thing I could find out? I hit the lock button on the side of the phone, and Elliot's smile looks back up at me.

"If you need me, just hit the call button next to you," Alice says then leaves the room.

As I reluctantly unlock the phone, I see a picture of a gray and white husky behind the list of applications that I had loaded on my phone. The dog looked exactly like the husky I had own before but this dog had been much younger than any photos I still had of Bolt. I click on the Messages app instinctually, and I see the name Elliot with a blue dot next to his picture and the same with Veronica.

I click on Veronica and a thread of messages between the two of us pop up.

Today 7:23 AM

Veronica: I love you, honey, I will see you soon.

January 14th3:45 AM

Veronica: Where are you?

Veronica: Please answer your phone.

Veronica: We've tried calling Elliot, and he hasn't seen you in hours. Where are you, honey?