She looks up from the white carton of shrimp fried rice in her hands and sees him staring at the coffee table between them. He hasn’t touched his Mongolian chicken.
“I’m thinking of getting a cat.”
He scoffs and smiles as he shakes his head, reaching for his food.
“What? You don’t think I could do it? I’d be a great cat-mom.”
He puts the opened container back down without taking a bite. “I can’t keep doing this.”
“I thought you liked Chinese.”
“You know what I mean “
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
He gets up and puts on his coat. “I don’t even know what I’m doing here.”
I stand up and follow him to the door. “You’re the one who came to my apartment,” I say to him, my volume rising. “You ordered the food. You-“
“You said no!” He pauses in the doorway. “I had the flowers, the ring, the knee. I offered you everything, and you said no.”
“What do you want?”
“You know the answer to that.”
“I want to hear you say it.”
He turns and with 2 steps closes the distance between them. “I want you Mary. I want all of you.”
“You can have me,” she says, sliding her arms around his neck and pushing herself into him. “Right here, right now.”
“I said all of you,” he says, removing her arms.
“Is that all,” she says, rolling her eyes and turning away.
“Enjoy your cat.” The door slams shut.
She leans against the door to hear the footsteps of the only man she ever loved grow farther and farther away.
