Unwritten Promises

ain mornings y

use they're too quiet like the world is holdi

ind of morning

hind stubborn clouds. My duffel bag rested by the do

make. One final goodbye

orts, like she ran out the second she got my text. She looke

beau

ll

our mind," she said, halfway be

eps and pulled h

't. The scholar

w. I just wish it wasn't so far. Could

ked,"

I didn't tr

y eyes, like she was hoping to

e me so

yth

u'll rem

could I not? You're my e

ry, Martins," she said. "

an I expected. She loo

sound

her hand. "And this... what we

licked up.

.. what kind of

is leaving for the other side of the c

to answer that. So

ike she was the final piece in

day," I said, like a pr

this," she whispe

prote

yal," I added, alm

"Even if someone else seems easier.

romi

e kind that tries to memorize everything. The taste of her lip balm. The faint tremble

k,

gnal fro

again. Quic

slo

letters,"

on't a

e poems. Weird one

"I'll hang th

t you whe

her arms, trying to stay s

in love with

t," I t

ound as sure a

roned overhead. Strangers rushed by. Eve

people, but I'd ne

nal Joy gave me last Christma

ust

nto something I'm not ready for. Joy thinks we'll make it. Maybe we w

tendant cal

sita

he journal sh

the window. N

e clouds-the roads we used to walk, the bus stop where we danced in

ked small

sed m

I dr

ot of

meone

bout to break. She wasn't smiling, but her face

we were landin

et. White buildings, open lawns, students on bik

l but tidy. My roomma

quick shower, and

ans

d safe. It's beautiful

red. N

s just asleep. That

inside me whis

quad toward the library. It was still open. Students s

en I s

l from

book in hand. Eyes focused. A hal

't just

s... f

own her in

d up. Our

or a s

he sm

a fl

en a g

ing qu

already

fr

art r

turned to h

damage w

o my dorm not k

wing he

thing was

going to

me

ewh

d re

ll hadn't c