Today’s flash fiction prompt: Write based on a random quote generator. I used the quote generator listed on today’s WD challenge.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
Anne Lamott
Waiting
Waiting is hard. It’s like taking a deep breath and sticking your head underwater. As your body adjusts to the pressure and you convince yourself that you aren’t drowning, those first few seconds feel brave and adventurous. But as time drags on, you realize that the burning sensation in your lungs won’t pass with time. And the water sneaking up your nose one tiny drop at a time can rush in at any moment and overtake you.
I stand at the edge of baggage claim, fingers clutching my purse as my eyes focus on the conveyer belt, on the pink suitcase covered in spots, then, inevitably, on the next person leaving the arrivals terminal.
He said he needed time. That this trip would be good for both of us. His words frightened me, but the cracks beneath his smooth exterior scared me more. Sometimes life is harder than waiting, and he needed to get away from it in order to breathe.
So I wait. Good things come to those that do, right?
As the terminal clears, my eyes blur. Doubts seep in like drops of water, threatening to overtake me one thought at a time. He’s not coming back.
The items circling the conveyer belt thin to a single, black suitcase, and I’m left alone, buoyed by the purse strap across my shoulder and the hope that maybe, just maybe, he’ll come home. But the minutes stretch on, and my lungs are on fire, and I need air.
I turn to leave on shaky legs. A hand grasps my shoulder.
“Joy?”
I exhale. The waiting is over.
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