“No more text,” Carlos said.
It was Sabrina’s only form of communication where Carlos could read and see her words and her thoughts because he was not accepting her calls. Why? She asked herself. Maybe she was making it harder for him to make a decision and she was complicating things with her pitiful texts.
“Do not shut me out and not give me a good reason,” she texted back.
She deserved to know what was going on. She would like to know what he was thinking about or what was happening there in the house on Benton Street. This was affecting her life as well and the social distancing mandated by the authorities was making it worst. She had apologized profusely about what she did and the lies she told. She was in pain; She felt lonely and sad. She have not eaten much; thus losing weight. She was sleep deprived. She needed to know where she stood. She needed some sort of communication to help release her from the insanity in her head and free her mind, so that she could be happy again.
“Give me some time,” Carlos texted back.
“How much time do you need?” she responded.
“Not long.”
It sounded promising. Sabrina’s whole being was off balance and she felt as if she could not make it through the day. The hours went by so slowly at work. She glanced at the clock on the computer as she counted the minutes to lunchtime.
Outside was bleak and cold, but for mid- November it was expected. Sabrina hurried into her car, a blue 2001 Saab she bought used from a family in Rye. The engine rumbled as she turned the key and the vents emitted heat that warmed her body which reminded her of the time she picked him up from work and they made love in the seat. She looked over at the seat imagining him sitting there. They were so happy then.
Her phone rang and she prayed that it was Carlos calling. She rummaged through her handbag and found it; answering it on the third ring.
“Hello,” she answered calmly as her heart raced.
There was no respond, so she said hello again.
“Is this Sabrina McCloskey?” the caller asked.
“Who is this?” Sabrina said. She was not going to acknowledge her identity without know who was calling.
The phone went silent. Sabrina looked at the screen and the line was still open. She did not recognized the voice and she did not know the phone number. She was about to end the call when the caller said, “Carlos is no longer…”
The line went silent and then the dial tone of an ended call filled Sabrina’s ear. She was confused.
… to be continued.