A[U]CTOR

High heels

Love

[Peter runs home, opens the door and gets into the bedroom. One quick look is all he needs to notice that all of Camila's clothes are gone. Instead, he finds a pair of high heel shoes on the bed next to a letter.]

He grabbed the letter that was next to the cherry red heels that he gave to Camila on their wedding anniversary. A lot of questions came into his mind when he opened the letter. Drops of sweat rolled down his forehead, as he read the letter.

Dear Peter:

I'm sorry that I left without saying goodbye. I didn't have the heart to tell you that I've been dealing with cancer for quite some time. I don't want to be a burden when my condition worsens, most of our disputes have been about wanting children and when I was diagnosed with cancer, I realized that I was the problem, the best decision that I could make at the moment was to leave.
I left the high heels that you gave me on our wedding anniversary as a reminder that our love still remains. I went away to get treatment for the time being. Don't come looking for me, I'll be back soon.

With love, Camila. 💋

Peter crumpled the letter and wept. "Honey no." He knelt to the floor and his tears went down on his cheeks, holding on to the sheets, slightly dragging to the floor along with the high heel shoes. They fell to the ground he looked at the cherry red heels and grabbed them. He stood up, to grab his luggage to pack his things and went out to find her.

"I don't care that you have cancer. I'm going to be by your side, no matter what."

*

Peter grabbed his luggage from the closet and laid it open on the bed, packing his clothes, starting with his sky blue polo shirt, plain white t-shirt, 2 v-neck shirts, brown baggy pants, 2 pairs of white socks, 3 pairs of boxers and his favorite shirt which had the three wise monkeys design with big bold letters displayed: "SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL!" in red, neatly folded in the luggage before grabbing his boots and putting it in the luggage as well, then he picked the cherry red high heels from the floor and put it within a shoe box before putting it within the luggage before closing it with the zipper.

He opened the drawers one by one, searching for his passport. He checked his closet for the second time, but it wasn't there. Peter lifted the mattress and found his passport book. He opened it to check for the expiration date.

"Good, it hasn't expired yet." He closed the passport and put it inside the fanny pack that he pulled out of the drawer.

He made a phone call to his sister-in-law, though they weren't exactly on good terms. At least he had to try for Camila. He attempted to call three more times. His phone number was blocked from her phone and he couldn't contact her.

Guess that he had to find out for himself.

He got into the car and went to his in-laws address. Meanwhile, a woman laid her head against the seat, holding a brochure of a hospital that offered a variety of treatments depending on the cost. She received a text message from her oncologist, her former college roommate, Lilly.

(I cleared the agenda for your scheduled appointment at the clinic.}

Lilly

Camila gave a week smile before turning off the screen of her smartphone.

Peter's brother-in-law sat on the couch reading the local newspaper, one of the articles mentioning the legislators confronting a delay in funds in order to pay the medical professionals and the police. Then he flipped the pages to the sports section before honking was heard outside.