The Long Road
Every day, he passed a single letter barricaded by junk, toys, and parts on his rickety
table. Beefy daily passes, which included footsteps and belly taps, inched the letter closer to its fate—one last nudge.
It fell face up, demanding attention.
He stood frozen upon rediscovering it. The neatness of the handwriting reminded him too much of his wife.
It read:
To Dad Love,
Tommy.
Heartache rediscovered.
He tried to pick it up, but his body refused. To feel the ink splotches, to find recovery. Each step felt like a mile until it rested between his fingertips.
He burned it.
Author Bio
Nicholas Nevarez (He/Him) is an undergrad in literature and writing at CSUSM. He enjoys writing short pieces of fiction and poetry and hopes to become a creative writing professor in the future.