You Only Live Once

by Maxine Morrey

‘Yeah, maybe. Why did you ask about soulmates?’ The lighting was soft, and Jack’s voice matched the setting. ‘I don’t know. Mike and I used to talk about it occasionally.’ ‘And what did he think?’ ‘He was very logical. Scientific. He didn’t really believe in anything that you couldn’t explain, or touch, or see.’ ‘But he was madly in love with you. Anyone who saw you together could see that.’ I lifted my gaze from where I had been playing with the corner of the napkin. ‘Thank you.’ Jack shrugged. ‘I mean, he obviously believed in love, even though that’s not tangible. It’s a feeling.’ ‘I never thought to ask him. I guess he felt he could make an exception for that.’ ‘I think he knew a good thing when he saw it and he wasn’t about to let science or logic get in the way.’ I smiled to thank him for the kind words, twisting a lock of hair around a finger. ‘It’s always afterwards you think of all the things you wanted to talk about, or ask, isn’t it?’ ‘I think, a lot of the time, we assume we still have plenty of time to ask those questions.’ ‘That’s true. But we never really know how much time we have, do we?’ ‘No, we don’t,’ he said. ‘I guess that’s why, if we really want something, we just have to find a way of getting it, or at least of trying to get it. Then you’re never left with the what if.’

Conversation