What Came After...

 He drops the ring on the table.
It clatters a bit, then falls silent.
His eyes meet hers with steady intensity.
They were to marry today.

The relentless rain slackens to drizzle.
They turn away from each other.
He's at the window. She's at the stove.
The clouds part, and a silent sun begins to shine.

Neither one knows what to do now.
They came close to speaking vows.
They stopped before they were bound by law.
And now, they ponder their future.

A shaft of sunlight illumines his slack face.
A kitten curls up in a cushioned chair.
The man reaches out to his woman.
She looks away, indifferent to his need.

They didn't know it would end like this,
when first they met.
The days then were bright with laughter.
They had plans for union and a home.

Somewhere it went wrong.
Some when they lost hope, and laughter stopped.
Sometimes they didn't speak.
Some days the silence overwhelmed.

She takes a suitcase from the hallway closet.
He watches her climb the stairs.
A door slams. He jumps in surprise.
The sunlight mocks his tears.

©Ellen Pepper 2026