Off Topic: Today’s Prose 3

A continuation of Prose 2, also inspired by real events.

It had only been a month since the man showed up at Emily’s doorstep. What was supposed to be a belated but coveted reconciliation steadily aged into inklings of doubt and unease. That she responded, “not today” to each of the man’s invitations every day for a week indicated a burgeoning need to alter paths. As Emily stood atop the wooden porch of the university’s athletic department, tossing footballs down below into the hands of eager students, she tried to formulate a plan of action–to run the clock out instead of calling a time-out.

Rhea Sponda, head coach of the girls basketball team, slowly waved her hands in front of Emily’s face. “Earth to Emily….anyone in there?”

“Sorry,” Emily said after blinking back into the world. “I was thinking about something.”

Sponda squinted. “That fiance of yours acting like a shit-for-brains again?”

Emily dropped the last of the prolate spheroids over the balcony and turned around to face the 5′11 brunette and coach-of-the-year. After reassuring her friend that the fiance was not misbehaving or harboring wonky politics, Emily announced that she just had to get away for a while. Six years had passed between the last time she saw the man. Though his presence re-ignited Emily’s creativity, it was not a permanent arrangement. Translation: she no longer needed his nine fingers and near-perfect physique.

Emily didn’t go home that night or the rest of the week. She called her football-coach uncle, Walter Flint, and asked if she could stay with him and his wife for a spell. He loved the idea (”you can help me figure out why my boys fell off the radar over the weekend”). Emily’s fiance wouldn’t need an explanation or even a memo. He’d know the reason behind her absence–he always did.