Inspired by RDP Tuesday’s Prompt: SYMBIOTIC

 

The woman with dark hair  frosted with dust

sat across from her friend with his manicured nails and  smelling of after shave that

that reminded her  bit like the water at the bottom of a flower vase clotted with rose

petals and crispy  curled dark green leaves.

 

She pressed her finger to her lips and looked at the spot between his eyes. After a

second she looked away and waited for him to speak first.

 

” I’ll only be gone for a little while, ” he promised ” I’ll be back before you know it ”

Despair reached for Hope  and grasped her cool hands in his warm ones. He  told

her ” I’m lost without you. ”

 

He brought her hands to his face and pushed his cheek  against her small cool fingers.

She said, ” I know . I know.  I’ll be waiting. I promise. ”

 

He opened his hands and freed her.

 

Hope leaned back in her chair and waited for  the last rays of the sun setting outside of

their window to carry scour Despair away and she took a little breath, just one sad

little breath because she knew he would be back.

 

No matter how far away he traveled, no matter how many locked doors he was trapped

behind, Despair always came back to Hope and she was always there waiting for him.

 

Like she promised.