Emotion

Shirley's eyes filled with tears when I told her I couldn't stay. The home she built for us was cozy. It had all the necessary comforts for two. It just wasn't where I was supposed to be. I wouldn't trade the days spent listening to Shirley's stories for all the riches in the world. The way I saw it, I had become wealthy beyond my wildest dreams. Shirley showed me who I really was, and shared with me her secrets for never ending up a stranger, no matter where I landed. That's why I wasn't prepared for the raw emotion Shirley displayed when I said I needed to put her tricks to the test. I needed to find out where my feet would take me now that I'd been stripped of all expectation. Relief seeped deep into my bones when I finally understood my quest was second rate, at best. I didn't have to save anyone, not even myself. All I had to do was be me, and the universe would find its balance once more. Shirley took that to mean we would ride things out until the end of time, drinking our coffee and deciding what to watch on TV. My take was I could survive without walls and cable and percolators. Home could be at 14,000 feet, snow-covered and brutal. Home could easily be erupting on the ocean floor. Shirley wiped her glasses and, without a word, got up to clear the kitchen table.