It had been a week of “lasts.” Her last term paper, her last shift at the coffee shop, her last Taco Tuesday at Don Jose’s. She heard the toilet flush and realized that this would be the last time Zoe would slip under the covers next to her in their bed.
Eve stared at the crack in the ceiling. It was barely visible when they’d moved in three years ago and she’d emailed the property management company. She didn’t want to be responsible for the repair when they moved out tomorrow.
“We better get our deposit back,” Eve stated as Zoe entered the room.
“Let it go, Elsa,” Zoe quipped back. “I think they’ll care less about the crack then the chalkboard paint in the kitchen.”
“They should consider that an upgrade! They also got a veggie garden out of us. It took us weeks to till that soil.”
Zoe clicked off the light switch, triggering the glow-in-the-dark stars to emit their green shine overhead.
“And a solar system that still recognizes Pluto as a planet,” Zoe joked. “Think we should take it down?”
“Heck no. The next tenants will love it!” Eve laughed.
Zoe settled under the down comforter and silence enveloped the room. She scooted into Eve’s arms, cradling her head on her breasts. Eve stroked Zoe’s hair gently and tears formed in her eyes.
“Come with me. You can find a job in Washington. The house I’m renting is a two bedroom and you could have your own room.”
“Eve, honey, we’ve talked about this for the past year. We both know this is for the best. We have different dreams for the future and God knows we need our own space. I’ll come visit after you get settled and before I leave for Israel.”
“You don’t even have a place to stay! What will you do? You can’t just wander forever! And I need you!”
“You’re being silly now, Eve. You know that I’m spending the summer at the kibbutz and then serving an apprenticeship with the embassy in Tel Aviv. I expect to find a job and rent an apartment before the end of the year. And if I don’t, I’ll come back to you. We’ll FaceTime everyday, I promise.”
“You’ll make friends and fall in love and start a whole new life and I won’t be a part of it. You’ll forget all about me. I can’t stand it!”
Eve openly wept, sobbing into Zoe’s arms.
“That’s not true. I will never forget you and I will always love you. We are forever.”
Zoe held Eve until her tears subsided, then kissed her on the forehead. “Go to sleep, my Eve. We have a busy day ahead. It will all work out.”
As Eve slipped into sleep she thought about tomorrow. It would begin a string of “firsts” … her first time living in another state, her first full-time job, and her first time sleeping in her own bed, away from her twin sister
Written for the To Live & Write in Alameda November 2019 “Flash Lit” Challenge #2. We had three days to write a piece of fiction, non-fiction or poetry of 500 words or less to the theme “The Last Time in Their Bed” and post the link in our group. I missed the deadline to submit but made the commitment to write and post to my own blog.
Vivo O Sonho 