as a child, she could never say bye, even thought she had to so many times. her tears could form rivers that rivaled the Nile. her cries could deafen bandshees hundreds of miles away. but as she saw him leaving for the final time, no tears fell. no words said. it was the easiest goodbye of her life. and as she walked away, she could finally breathe. the day she had dreaded for as long as she could remember had come and went, and she was still here. she still had survived.

but then she got in the car to drive home and couldn’t decide on a song to play on the ride home. the passenger prince always picked but he wasn’t there. she walked the hall she had traversed a million times, expecting him to be there. but he wasn’t. that night she laid in bed but couldn’t fall asleep. the bed felt empty. cold. hollow. because he wasn’t there. and he never would be. ever again.

the next day the bed was no longer hollow. instead, it was filled with memories of the good and bad, pain and relief but maybe most of all life and love. and soon the salty water soaking the pillows, matress and blanket evaporated just as he did