Breakups
The first part of a multipart story
Floro sits on the floor of her apartment in tears, with thin red lines running through her socket. Wondering if she’s good enough for anyone. Her phone rings.
“Hello Flo?”
“Hey mom”
“Listen your dad and I have file for a divorce and he has moved out.”
“What?”
“You and dad had problems?”
“Why wasn’t I made aware of your problems?”
“Where’s daddy now? I want to talk to my dad”
“You can call him. He’s number hasn’t change”
Floro sits on her disbelief at the call. She couldn’t believe her parent’s divorce. After 25 years of marriage and nothing. Floro wanting to cry longer but has run out of tears by now. She lies back to the hardwood linoleum floor. Recalling the events of the day and how the day could get worse. The longer Floro thinks, the tired she gets, soon, she closes her eyes.
“Floro?”
“Are you ok?”
“I heard you crying”
Floro slowly opens her eyes, after a few flutters, she sees a calming and familiar smiles.
“Hey Dolus”
“Are you ok Floro?”
“I heard you crying and got concern when it suddenly got quiet…”
“Oh, Brandon broke up with me, and my parents are getting a divorce.”
“Woof, that’s a lot of breakups in one day”
“Well, I can’t fix your breakups, but I think you’ll feel better after showering and getting some rest tonight.”
Dolus bends down, offering his hand to Floro. Floro taken back from Dolus kindness after a series of rejection, places her hand over Dolus’s. Dolus lightly pulls Floro up, and guides Floro to her room. Dolus walks to her bathroom, filling the tub with warm water, while looking for a bath bomb. Dolus finds the bath bomb, in the cabinet under the bathroom sink. Dolus takes, a pink and purple star shape bath bomb and places it in the tub. He walks out of the bathroom and finds a scented candle in Floro’s apartment. He finds one sitting on her bookshelves with a lighter beside. Dolus lights the candle in the bathroom before knocking Floro’s door.
“Yea?”
“Your bath is ready.”
Floro opens the door with a towel wrap around her, as her cheeks flushes. Dolus takes Floro’s hand walk her to the bathroom.
“Your bath is ready. I’ll wait in my apartment for you”
Dolus closes the bathroom door and leaves Floro’s apartment. Floro opens her robe and exhale deeply. She walks to the bathtub and sits in her silence.
Dolus enters Floro’s apartment with a pizza box and can drinks. Floro walks to her living room with Dolus sitting on the couch.
“Hey”
“If you’re hungry, I ordered us a pizza. If not, I can eat your portions” winks Dolus
Floro sits beside Dolus and exhale loudly. Dolus moves closer to Floro and places his hand on her back, slowly making small circles on her back.
“Is ok to be sad. You can cry in front of me. I won’t think of you less.”
Floro’s head collapse into Dolus’s chest. Dolus taken back, wraps his arm around Floro, while slowly running his other hand through her hair.
“Thank you for being with me tonight. I thought I was fine alone. But now you’re here and kind, I realize how much I need company now.”
Floro wakes up in Dolus arm. As she attempts to leave Dolus’s grasp, Dolus pulls her back.
“Don’t leave yet. I don’t want this to end.”
“I’ll be back soon.”
Floro walks into her bathroom. Looking at the tub and glowing candle, a small crack forms at the corner of her mouth.