Hartzell - He stopped calling

By Dawn Hartzell

“Sounds crazy, but this has been the best part of my day.” She spoke the words quietly and he immediately grabbed at the chance to talk to her.

“I know exactly what you mean.” He was rewarded with a smile that chased away the cloud that had been hanging over him.

She laughed, a soft musical sound that fit her perfectly. “We are a sad pair then.”

It was all that was needed to open the lines of communication between them and they continued to talk as their life-saving blood filled the bags.

Drip. Drip.

Chloe sat on her patio a few months later, watching the spring rain gently fall from the heavy sky. She thought about Jason and the few meetings they had arranged since the day at the blood bank.

They had made an instant connection and she eagerly looked forward to each date they planned. They didn’t have many chances to see each other face to face, but they did make phone contact daily.

He had been offered a great employment opportunity and was working hard to put his life back together. She wanted to be part of that life, forever, but didn’t want to push too hard.

She sighed, letting her head rest on the chair back, listening to the falling rain.

Drip. Drip.

It was a few months later his daily call came through and he could barely contain the excitement in his voice.

“Chloe, you are not going to believe it but I’ve been offered a promotion.”

Her heart jumped. “Jason that’s wonderful!” Her excitement was almost as great as his.

Maybe this allow help him to reach his goal of getting back into his own home and they could take a step forward with their relationship.

He grew quiet. “Jason?”

“The job is on the other side of the country Chloe.” She started to cry.

Drip. Drip.

He had been gone almost 6 months. They had started out talking daily, but the distance was beginning to put a strain on the relationship.

She was totally immersing herself in her work; it helped ease her loneliness. He was also pushing to make his mark and their conversations became shorter and their contact more sporadic.

When he had first left they had talked about their future, their future together, but now it was very seldom mentioned.

She was trying to keep positive thoughts but somehow she knew that their relationship was not going to have the happy ending that she desired. They were losing the connection they had, the thread that held them together was unraveling.

The cup of coffee she held in her hand slammed to the table in frustration, the contents sloshing over the sides, forming a puddle that ran to the edge of the table and then on to the floor.

Drip. Drip.

She hadn’t heard from him in a week. She didn’t bother calling him, knowing that he would have contacted her if he wanted to talk. She had given up hope. He was climbing the ladder of success and there was no room for her on any of the rungs.

She was so preoccupied with her despair that she didn’t even realize where she was going until she pulled into the blood bank. It was a year to the day since she had first spoken to Jason.

She closed her eyes and drifted back to that day as they readied her to give blood. She smiled as she relived the conversation they had.

“Jason, I love you. I wish we could have had a happy ending.” She whispered the words, her heart breaking, her blood flowing into the bag.

“Who says we can’t?” She was hearing voices. Maybe the blood was flowing too fast. She felt lightheaded.

“Are you not going to answer me?” Her eyes flew open. She needed the nurse, something was wrong.

“Chloe, I love you too.” She was hallucinating. There in front of her was Jason.

“Jason?” Her voice was shaking.

“Were you expecting someone else?” He leaned in to gather her in his arms. “I love you Chloe. I came to take you back with me. Marry me and let’s build a life together.”

“Yes!” She wasted no time with her reply.

She lay there, filling a bag that would change someone else’s life, the same way it had changed theirs.

Drip. Drip. Drip.