Clarke Collins

Present

 “First Ave” The conductor’s voice crackled through the train.  Shit! Missed my stop! Gabriel jumped from his seat, briefcase in tow and slipped out the sliding doors before they closed. His ten-minute walk had now turned into thirty minutes. He’d forgone waiting in the desolate and urine drenched subway station for the next one back, especially considering how slow they ran at that time of night. Ah well. The walk would do him some good. Clear his head.

As he exited the station, his senses sharpened, catching the first taste of brisk early morning air. He pumped his feet steadily, being mindful of his surroundings, but appreciating the time to think and reflect. Most important, sober up. His mind had been heavy in the preceding hours and the alcohol had only exacerbated that. He wanted to be focused when he saw Alicia. There was so much he needed to say to her. He didn’t know where to begin.

Gabriel knew a talk between them was long overdue. He walked faster. The urgency to get home and do what needed to be done sending him into a sprint. He conquered each block in record time. His thoughts on nothing but Alicia – the soft curl of her hair and the silky feel of her skin against his fingertips. He imagined her floral scent in the air and envisioned the first time they kissed. How the spark between them ignited into an endless flame as their lips connected.

In the past year, something broke between them. Life wasn’t the same as it used to be. They were long overdue a talk about where they were going in this marriage. With the urgency growing inside, he thought of nothing but getting home to reclaim his wife. As he rounded the corner to his apartment building, he felt nothing could stop him; that was until something did.