phone. “That’s not a memory. I just keep saying things out of
nowhere and then when I do, I realize that they’re true, even
though I have no way of knowing how to verify that. It’s like
seeing green grass, and knowing it’s green grass, but not
knowing how you know that, and everyone has taken away all
the books on green and on grass and there’s no internet and no
proof, but you’re just so sure.”
“That sounds awful.” But maybe it was a little blissful too.
There were a lot of things that Coralyn would like to forget,
but there were so many more that she wanted to cling to. All
she had left were memories now. “My dad said all the time
that everything was going to be okay. He really believed it.” I
want to believe it too.
“Then it will be.” Giana was so sure. It made Coralyn sit up
a little bit straighter as a gust of cold air brushed over the back
of her neck. She looked around, but no one was watching her.
“I’m just pulling up now at the front entrance.”
Coralyn stood up. She’d never felt shakier. Giana was there
for her, and she was going to support her, help her, take her
home, and hold her. God help her, but she’d never wanted
anything more. She’d never wanted it to be real more than she
wanted it in that moment.
As Giana walked through the door, dressed like she would
for the office in expensive black slacks, five-inch heels, and a
black belted mid-length coat, her hair and makeup professional
and perfect, Coralyn expected to crumple in on herself, the
physical toll of grief more than she could handle, but instead,
she found strength she didn’t know she had left.
She was strong enough to walk over to her wife and take her
hand. She couldn’t pretend like she didn’t want Giana there.