She couldn't bring herself to get up out of bed this morning. The first day after he had left she had gotten up out of bed and gotten dressed her eyes were sore and red from crying herself to sleep the night before but still she showered and dressed and walked the halls of school with a small fake smile plastered on her face. The second and third days were a repeat of the first. And then on the fourth and fifth day she had woken up feeling sick but still managed to brush her teeth comb her hair and dress for school. This time making her way through the deserted corridors.
On the sixth and seventh day she woke up pretending none of it had happened, and that he had never come to live with her and her family, that he had never pressed his hand into hers when she was upset, that he hadn't wrapped his arms around her to many times to count, and that his lips hadn't brushed her forehead. He didn't exist. At least not to her.
Then on the eighth day she woke up still dressed in the clothes she had worn the day before, not caring they were crinkled she had smoothed her hair down grabbed her books and sat in the library for her first 3 periods staring into nothingness till the vice principal had come looking for her and sent her off to class.
On the ninth day she had received a card and a photo. A photo of his baby cradled in his arms. Both were sleeping. Ruthie had guessed Sandy had taken the picture. She couldn't help but notice how much the baby looked like him. that only made it hurt more
And now here she was lying in her bed. The covers pulled up to her chin her eyes tightly closed as tears streamed down her cheeks.
It has been ten days since he had left. Left her behind
She hadn't seen him, hadn't heard his voice. All she had was the card with the photo.
Ruthie stared down at the photo wistfully and a sobbed escaped her.
"It should have been us"
