departure
had the airport known what was taking place that morning, perhaps it would have hushed its bustling loading zone as we stepped out of the car to retrieve the suitcases.
as it were, i’m glad it did not; i had prepared neither speech nor eulogy. the sound of the trunk’s latched blended right in with the rest, unremarkable to every traveler but me.
my arms swiftly transitioned from embracing him to wrangling my bags.
“i’ll see you soon.”
had i not been fussing with my suitcase’s telescoping handle, the lack of eye contact would have been correctly read as deliberate. it’s hard to look someone in the eyes and lie.
i didn’t say goodbye as i headed to the curb. it’s harder to look someone in the eyes and tell the truth.