Emma Nelson. Emma Nelson. Emma Nelson.
The name was everywhere and he couldn't escape it no matter where he turned.
Emma Nelson, head of Environment 4 Us Enterprises. Emma Nelson, actress. Emma Nelson, mother of twins. Emma Nelson, author. Emma Nelson, dead.
Emma Nelson. Emma Nelson. Emma Nelson.
He had a box in his closet with her name written in black permanent marker: Emma Nelson.
In the box were things that kept him connected to her and what he once might have had. The box was divided down the center with a piece of cardboard. On one side were things from the earlier days when he saw her every day. The other side was things from now when he only ever saw her name.
Emma Nelson.
The side with the things from now contained a brochure (for Environment 4 Us Enterpriseshe had picked it up in a restaurant on the other side of town), a fundraiser pin and t-shirt (from Environment 4 Us Enterprises, he had called and ordered them anonymously and ended up paying six times as much as was asked which resulted in being acknowledged in one of their 'thanks yous' posted in the newspaper), a newspaper clipping (the thank you for the donation), three DVDs (all of which she co-starred in with either Manny Santos or Craig Manning), another newspaper clipping (the article about her newborn boys), a book (the one she had written about her high school and everything that happened), and finally one more newspaper clipping (her obituary). These things symbolized everything he had missed because of his mistakes.
The side of the box with the items from the past consisted of a beanie (the one his best friend wore when he had been dating her and then kept wearing it after they broke up), a ribbon (it symbolized 'no violence') a paint swatch (yellow), a feather (fake), a baggy filled with sand(from Wasaga), a used condom (his DNA on the inside, hers on the outside), and a photograph (of skid marks on the street). These things symbolized his mistakes.
He barely ever looked in the box but he had memorized its contents. If someone had asked him what was in it, he could list everything without having to think about it.
Even after her death, her name was still heard in the buzz of people's chattering every time he left his home.
He was haunted by her but he didn't mind, because even if it was all his own imagination, she was finally with him and him alone.
Her name was everywhere and he couldn't have escaped it if he wanted to.
Emma Nelson.