A Woman's Tear
The raindrops on her face look like tears.
She made a decision. She made a choice. She made a mistake. Her tears dried. Her heart breaks. Yet everything remains the same. Nothing, nothing, ever changed. Morning. Breakfast. School bus. Kids. Dog. Laundry. Dishes. Dinner. Garbage. Toilet paper. TV. Sex. Stupid reality show. Silly paperback romance. She closes her eyes and tries to laugh. She has grown old now. Life has lost the sparks. Garlic. Pizza. Oregano. Meatball sub. Friday night supper. Mashed potatoes. Gravy. Pasta. Pot roast. Six o'clock sharp. All she has is regrets. She has lost her chance. Noisy kids. Puking dog. Hairy husband. A match made in Heaven. A common happiness. A life she accepts but never wants. She is, after all, her mother's child.
Her eyes follow the sleek black car.
He's back in town. With a bride. With a cat. With a child. He doesn't change much, his eyes still bright as stars. She still remembers his smile, his warmth, his lips, and the touch of his hands. Something tears inside of her. Something cracks. Something burns. Something shatters. Jealousy. Primitive emotions. She looks down at her flowery summer dress. Cheap sandals. Long pale lonely toes. Time and tide wait for no one. Que sera, sera. What is done, is done. No turning back. The sands of time. The hot breeze blows in her face. The sugary buttery scent escapes from the bakery where she lost her virginity. Car horns. Street noises. She stands all alone in the rain on the pavement by the busy road. Her soul feels cold. She's a mother and a wife now. Duties. Obligations. Responsibilities. Sacrifices. Decisions and choices. Free will and mistakes. It's not the life she ever wanted. She thinks of the faces of her three children. She feels the weight of the cupcakes and doughnuts.
It makes her sad.