Susan tried to fight her urge to slap him. She had to fight that often. She did NOT expect to see him as far in as downtown. How had he gotten here? He must be camping out. She had no idea how right she was. The man had truly lost everything, and was literally camping out on her doorstep.

She lost her sense of pity. “Oh, is that me?” she demanded. “Am I what’s yours? And what did you think, that you could just show up now, when you’ve already lost me? You think this last-minute shit’s gonna redeem you? I’m smarter than that. This shows me you always coulda’ been here for me, but no, you had to hang out with your friends, getting high. Showing up now is ‘too little too late,’ asshole.”

“People change.” He stood there, wavering, hardly able to stand in her presence and under the influence of his old friend JB. “I may be late, but it’s not too little, is it?” He took something out of his pocket, something small and black, and hinged, and cliche’.