Between Hello and Goodbye

by Emma Scott

my front door opened and Asher barged in. My heart pounded as he joined me on the lanai. He sat on the other chair, arms on his knees. “Hey.” “So that’s it?” I asked, my voice trembling. “You just walk in the door without knocking? Like we live together or something?” “No,” he replied in a low voice. “Because we don’t live together, Asher. Do we?” He sighed. “No, we don’t live together. But I always just walk in. Because you leave the door unlocked. For me.” “Well, that’s…stupid,” I said, my eyes filling. “And unsafe. To let anyone bust in and…and hurt me.” “I’m not anyone,” he said. “And I’m hurting too.” I glanced over at him helplessly. “What are you doing here?” He shrugged with a small smile. “You have my shirt.” A sound that was half-laugh, half-sob burst out of me. “Well, too bad you came all this way for nothing. I’m taking it with me.” “Good.” “Don’t you have work?” “I moved some things around.” “Asher…” “Come on. You’ll miss your flight.”