Pen Pal

by J.T. Geissinger

I’ve put that horrible day into a box and put the box up on a high shelf in the back of my mind for safekeeping.

“It’s worth it. No matter how bad it can get, no matter if it all falls apart in the end, it’s worth every minute.”

“Because I think you’re beautiful. Sad, a little bitchy, but fucking beautiful. I want you to come home with me tonight.”

“My plan is to get you naked and find out how you sound when you come.”

“I’m really sorry about this. I promise I’m not a giant basket case. I’m just a little one.” Looking very serious, he strokes a strand of damp hair off my cheek. He murmurs, “You’re not anything but beautiful.” After a pause, he adds, “You don’t have to freak out about that, either. I don’t try to seduce traumatized women who run in from the rain.”

“The past is dead. So whatever happened, whatever you’ve done, just know that I’ll never ask you to explain yourself to me. I’ll also never judge you for something you did to keep someone else from getting hurt. No matter how bad that something was. Life is messy, and we all have our reasons for doing what we do. I don’t care about anything you did before we met.”