He drove you out to the coast as a birthday surprise. The road is long ahead of us, the summer air crushes me with humidity and I soak in the sunshine like it is Labor Day and not mid August. The airport is hot with people drinking iced coffee. We're all waiting for a sign but the tarmac is empty and the universe silent. I'm sucking down a Bloody Mary hoping it can save my life.
When they find me days later, I'm sunburned to the color of a lobster. Curled up on the floor besides by my bed I'm looking out the window from below. My eyes are dry.
