Melissa came through the door of the townhouse carrying two canvass bags brimming with groceries. She kicked the door closed behind her and lugged the bags to the kitchen. Melissa’s 7-year-old daughter Emma was in the adjoining living room sitting at a small plastic table set up in front of the TV. The surface of the child's activities desk was covered with scattered crayons and white sheet paper. Kate, the nanny was sitting on the sectional sofa directly behind Emma.
“Hey Mrs. Karvic,” Kate said.
“Hi Kate,” Melissa replied as she set the grocery bags down on the counter.
“Do you want help with those?” offered kate.
“Yes, thank you,” said Melissa.
“Mommy! Want to see what I drew?!”
“Of course I do!” Melissa said with reciprocal enthusiasm.
“Come see!” Shouted Emma
“Ok! Just a second,” said Melissa.
“This looks nice,” Kate grinned as she pulled out a bottle of red wine from one the bags.
Melissa smiled “I landed a new account today, so I thought I deserved a little treat.”
“Congratulations!” Kate chirped.
“Thank you,” said Melissa. “I really needed a win.”
“It’s good to see you're doing well,” Kate said warmly.
“Mommy come look!” Emma demanded.
“Alright, here I come,” Kate said with playful exasperation.
Melissa walked over to Emma’s miniature desk and squatted down next to her daughter.
“What have you been working?” Melissa asked.
Emma’s lips were pursed as she focused on putting a few final strokes of green wax on the paper.
“Done.” she declared proudly.
“It looks beautiful,” Melissa said with astonishment.
“Thank you,” Emma said bashfully.
“Tell me about it,” Melissa suggested.
“That’s me on my birthday,” Emma said pointing to a red circle covered with yellow scribblings
“It looks just like you!” Melissa said praisingly.
“Yeah, it is me,” Emma said matter of factly.
“And this is..”
The sing dig of a bell instantly snatched away Melisa’s attention. She hurriedly took her phone out of her pocket.
“I’m sorry sweety. I’ll be right back, and you can tell me about the rest of your picture.” Melissa said.
“Kate can you do me a favor and finish putting away the groceries. I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”
Kate shrugged, “sure no problem.”
Melissa raced up the stairs to her bedroom and closed the door. She looked at her phone again. There was one message from David Karvic at 6:15 p.m. right on time as always.
Melissa inhaled deeply, sat down on the bed, and opened the message.
David Karvic: Hey hun, how was your day?”
Melissa Karvic: GREAT! I got the new account
David Karvic: Wow! Congratulations!
Melissa stared at the text box for a moment before typing out.
Melissa Kariv: Thank you :)
“David Karvic: You’re Welcome!
Melissa curled her thumbs over the screen but stopped short of typing anything. Her knee started to shake, and she tapped her foot nervously.
Melissa Karvic: I was about to ask how your day was, but I suppose I know the answer
David Karvic: I’m fine
The awkward response made Melissa visibly cringe. She shut her eyes and shook her head.
Melissa Karvic: Yeah, I guess so
David Karvic: What is Emma doing in school?
Melissa felt a sudden surge of excitement and her thumbs started quickly typing out Emma’s latest developments and accomplishments, but halfway through the first paragraph, her fingers came to a gradual stop.
She started tapping the back key until the box was cleared out.
Melissa Karvic: David, I think it’s time to say goodbye. Goodbye for good I mean.
David Karvic” Are you sure you want to say goodbye? This action is permanent and cannot be undone.
Melissa inhaled deeply and with trembling fingers tapped out:
Melissa Karvic: Yes, I’m sure. I love you, David.
David Karvic: I’ll love you forever Melissa Karvic.”
The conversation box refreshed, the screen turned white when it returned there was nothing. Melissa set her phone down and wiped away the tears welling in her eyes. She got up and went to her closet. Melissa out a medium-sized cardboard box and tore open the top. Melissa threw out the mound of packing paper until she uncovered a silver urn.
She took the urn out of the box and put it on the bedroom’s mantel. The name cut into the gleaming silver was David Karvic.
“Hey Mrs. Karvic,” Kate said.
“Hi Kate,” Melissa replied as she set the grocery bags down on the counter.
“Do you want help with those?” offered kate.
“Yes, thank you,” said Melissa.
“Mommy! Want to see what I drew?!”
“Of course I do!” Melissa said with reciprocal enthusiasm.
“Come see!” Shouted Emma
“Ok! Just a second,” said Melissa.
“This looks nice,” Kate grinned as she pulled out a bottle of red wine from one the bags.
Melissa smiled “I landed a new account today, so I thought I deserved a little treat.”
“Congratulations!” Kate chirped.
“Thank you,” said Melissa. “I really needed a win.”
“It’s good to see you're doing well,” Kate said warmly.
“Mommy come look!” Emma demanded.
“Alright, here I come,” Kate said with playful exasperation.
Melissa walked over to Emma’s miniature desk and squatted down next to her daughter.
“What have you been working?” Melissa asked.
Emma’s lips were pursed as she focused on putting a few final strokes of green wax on the paper.
“Done.” she declared proudly.
“It looks beautiful,” Melissa said with astonishment.
“Thank you,” Emma said bashfully.
“Tell me about it,” Melissa suggested.
“That’s me on my birthday,” Emma said pointing to a red circle covered with yellow scribblings
“It looks just like you!” Melissa said praisingly.
“Yeah, it is me,” Emma said matter of factly.
“And this is..”
The sing dig of a bell instantly snatched away Melisa’s attention. She hurriedly took her phone out of her pocket.
“I’m sorry sweety. I’ll be right back, and you can tell me about the rest of your picture.” Melissa said.
“Kate can you do me a favor and finish putting away the groceries. I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”
Kate shrugged, “sure no problem.”
Melissa raced up the stairs to her bedroom and closed the door. She looked at her phone again. There was one message from David Karvic at 6:15 p.m. right on time as always.
Melissa inhaled deeply, sat down on the bed, and opened the message.
David Karvic: Hey hun, how was your day?”
Melissa Karvic: GREAT! I got the new account
David Karvic: Wow! Congratulations!
Melissa stared at the text box for a moment before typing out.
Melissa Kariv: Thank you :)
“David Karvic: You’re Welcome!
Melissa curled her thumbs over the screen but stopped short of typing anything. Her knee started to shake, and she tapped her foot nervously.
Melissa Karvic: I was about to ask how your day was, but I suppose I know the answer
David Karvic: I’m fine
The awkward response made Melissa visibly cringe. She shut her eyes and shook her head.
Melissa Karvic: Yeah, I guess so
David Karvic: What is Emma doing in school?
Melissa felt a sudden surge of excitement and her thumbs started quickly typing out Emma’s latest developments and accomplishments, but halfway through the first paragraph, her fingers came to a gradual stop.
She started tapping the back key until the box was cleared out.
Melissa Karvic: David, I think it’s time to say goodbye. Goodbye for good I mean.
David Karvic” Are you sure you want to say goodbye? This action is permanent and cannot be undone.
Melissa inhaled deeply and with trembling fingers tapped out:
Melissa Karvic: Yes, I’m sure. I love you, David.
David Karvic: I’ll love you forever Melissa Karvic.”
The conversation box refreshed, the screen turned white when it returned there was nothing. Melissa set her phone down and wiped away the tears welling in her eyes. She got up and went to her closet. Melissa out a medium-sized cardboard box and tore open the top. Melissa threw out the mound of packing paper until she uncovered a silver urn.
She took the urn out of the box and put it on the bedroom’s mantel. The name cut into the gleaming silver was David Karvic.
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