The Writer (10 page)

Silence fell over the
room.

Rosie’s eyes were red,
puffy. She had been crying again. Had I actually broken up with
her?

“It’s time you came back
home,” mom said.

I guess I had.

Epilogue

Since I left Rosie, Joy
and I have been spending increasingly more time together, and I
have never been happier.

The only disappointment
has come with the realization that no matter how hard you try, you
can never please everyone.

Not only have my parents
refused to acknowledge my relationship to Joy, pressuring me to
renew contact with Rosie, but also Joy’s parents have actually
moved away, leaving us with no return address.

We have now finally moved
back into our old apartment, the first and only home we have ever
had, if only Alfred would stop barking.

I am not sure what
tomorrow will bring, but I know that as long as Joy is with me I
have nothing to fear from reality.