Even sitting in the darkest shadow of the cafe's colorful umbrellas, with her hair bound tightly against her head and her large green eyes hidden by black glasses, Anise got her share of looks. Men craned their necks as she walked by, and when she sat down next to Mike they glared as if to say, you lucky dog.
"So...uh...how're you doing?"
"How do you think?" Anise set her glasses on the tabletop with a sharp click. Dark shadows pooled under her red-rimmed eyes.
"You haven't been sleeping."
"No."
"Have you thought of seeing someone?"
She gave him all the pain she could fit into a single look. "I was."
"I meant a doctor."
"Oh, yes. I should go see someone who'll tell me to forget all about her, prescibe some happy drugs, maybe a little electroshock on the sides, hmm? That'll solve all my problems."
"Look, Ana, you need--"
"Don't tell me what I need, Mike. I know what I need."
A long silence passed between them.
"I just want to help you." Mike put his hand on the table, close enough that Anise could take it if she wanted.
Anise remained on the other side of the table, silent, cold as a distant star.
Just then, a movement at her left caught Anise's eye. There stood a young girl, long dark hair in two plaits, awkwardly pushing her glasses up. "Umm...hi. I was seeing you, from over there, and you looked sad." The girl's lips widened in a sympathetic smile. "So I thought I'd bring you this." She held out a single rose, full and perfect. "Don't be sad. God gives us miracles every day." Her little speech complete, the girl waited with hopeful eyes for Anise's reaction.
Anise stood and took the rose from the girl's hand. She held it for a moment before dropping it to the ground and crushing it beneath the heel of her boot.
As the young girl ran off in tears, Mike looked at this girl he had known for so long, and realized that he would probably never know her again.
"So...uh...how're you doing?"
"How do you think?" Anise set her glasses on the tabletop with a sharp click. Dark shadows pooled under her red-rimmed eyes.
"You haven't been sleeping."
"No."
"Have you thought of seeing someone?"
She gave him all the pain she could fit into a single look. "I was."
"I meant a doctor."
"Oh, yes. I should go see someone who'll tell me to forget all about her, prescibe some happy drugs, maybe a little electroshock on the sides, hmm? That'll solve all my problems."
"Look, Ana, you need--"
"Don't tell me what I need, Mike. I know what I need."
A long silence passed between them.
"I just want to help you." Mike put his hand on the table, close enough that Anise could take it if she wanted.
Anise remained on the other side of the table, silent, cold as a distant star.
Just then, a movement at her left caught Anise's eye. There stood a young girl, long dark hair in two plaits, awkwardly pushing her glasses up. "Umm...hi. I was seeing you, from over there, and you looked sad." The girl's lips widened in a sympathetic smile. "So I thought I'd bring you this." She held out a single rose, full and perfect. "Don't be sad. God gives us miracles every day." Her little speech complete, the girl waited with hopeful eyes for Anise's reaction.
Anise stood and took the rose from the girl's hand. She held it for a moment before dropping it to the ground and crushing it beneath the heel of her boot.
As the young girl ran off in tears, Mike looked at this girl he had known for so long, and realized that he would probably never know her again.