The Last

4:17 AM

"Can I ask you a question?" she whispered.

I glanced over at the clock on my nightstand. It was 4 in the morning. The window was open just a crack. I could hear the whir as a car drove by and a small breeze flitted into my apartment. Sunrise was coming soon. A new day would begin in just a couple of hours.

"Mmhm. Anything."

She shifted underneath my arm. I could smell the shampoo from her freshly-washed hair. "How many girls were there before me?"

The question took me by surprise, and I breathed in sharply. "Why do women ask that question?" I pondered.

"What do you mean?"

"If you say there were a lot, they get mad. If you say none, they don't trust you!"

"I won't do that!" she whined, giggling. "How many girls did you love before me?" she repeated.

I cleared my throat. "Loved?" There had been plenty of girls I'd gone on maybe-dates with and shared kisses with. But loved?

"Five."

I'd only felt that feeling five times. I closed my eyes and let their faces run through my memory again.

"What were their names?"

"Who, What, When, Where, and Why."

"Can you tell me about them?"