On the Last Meal before the World Ends

On the Last Meal before the World Ends pt. 1

Five Guys’ milkshake and fries. The kind we shared the night you held my hand and I looked into your eyes and didn’t look away. The kind Daisy threw up after getting into college and having to defer for a year for “medical reasons”. The kind Robert bought after leaving his wife and realizing all he wanted out of life would have only been possible with her. And the kind Stephanie brought after I blinked too hard and your eyes went away. I wish I’d been the fly on the napkin holder, unable to make choices and fully dependent on leftovers.

On the Last Meal before the World Ends pt. 2

The grocery store was out of apples. The bananas were bruised and Maisie took 7. She brought them over and we stole nutella from my sister’s pantry. I thought about the times we’d fought about what color I should paint her nails or whether or not her daughter should give up her pacifier. Maisie held my hand as we ate bruised bananas and I thought of all the times it felt like the world was ending. Maybe this time it was for real. Maybe. Like all the times you threatened to leave before you finally did.