A Nebulous Blob of Freedom
May 12 Wednesday Prose Prompt: Revelatory
I am a trapped free spirit. I fear the version of me that is untethered, and thus chose a strong figure as a husband. He grounds me. Sometimes, I feel smothered, but in our recent forced separation, I find myself going from daily tears to a sort of elation. Then, the elation deflates, and I am enveloped in panic.
“Ok,” he said in February. “You are not coming back to Lebanon (ever). Make plans to look for a job. Get an apartment. We will talk further when I can come.”
“When can you come?” I pleaded. “When can the kids come?”
“I don’t know,” he said.
His sun comes up eight hours before mine does. When my clock reads sunset, he is twitching deep in his sleep. Over these months, we have fought. His mom died in January, and with her, the stone and hearth of our home. Mostly, he has been silent and has removed his emotional support from my life. The length of ribbon that must stretch across the earth to keep us connected is frayed.
He told me to stay here, alone, with no timeline.
“When can you come?” I sobbed.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“I love you,” I said, and the video feed went dark.
