Seconds Change Everything

“I love you and don't forget about tonight. I pulled a couple of pieces I think you’ll like and I put them on the bed” He said as he gazed, lovingly, at her through the mirror.

The Carter Aspiring Artist Gala was one of their favorite annual events. They would spend the evening enjoying beautifully intentional pieces explained by ambitious artists with brilliant talent and passion. He wondered what she would pick. He hoped she’d choose the brown plaid skirt set with a white turtle neck and black stockings, paired with her brown suede heels. Brown amplified her confidence and safety. She looked the happiest when she was safe. This was a big night for her. The red and yellow sundress would be beautiful too, her brown skin would glisten under the lights in the gallery. Yellow made her bubbly. He made a mental note to pick up some more watermelon sparkling water on his way home.

She’d never been seen so clearly as when he looked at her.

“Thank you for the reminder”, her eyes merging into his through the pressured sand. She felt beautiful and soft. He always had a way of making her know that he sees her. She always has this tiny voice in her head telling her she will never be enough to be seen, or heard, or loved. Her existence is hollowing, she is superficial and constantly charading, slipping in and out of roles and masks with matching costumes. This voice took up a lot of space whilst only being a whisper. She had a problem with her memory, there was no room for it. He’d known her so well that there was no awkwardness in her voice, only true appreciation. The comfort awarded by his intentionality was more than euphoria it was peace. She felt stillness in her soul. She felt seen, she knew she was heard, there was no fear of honesty only its mere existence. He created this world for her and he’d declared it when they first met. The heavens would be in her hands if she asked. Her wish was his command. He loved her more than anything except himself. She’d taught him not to look at her as a possession, instead, as a partner experiencing all the world, together. Since that moment they moved as one but respected the individuals living in their relationship. Always on the same page the same line and sentence, word even, but reading different books.

He kissed her forehead and hugged her closely. She closed her eyes and leaned into his warmness. Time stood still, respecting the beauty in front of her knowing that in a mere second all the circumstances would change and there would be no more of them left. Her heart bled, the aches of time can be felt everywhere. She sees all and feels all, observing the movement. She could not express the grief in her heart for the atrocious pain they would feel as he closed the door to their masterfully sustainable home. As he took his first step he collapsed. She was grateful that he had forgotten his keys as she opened the front door, her eyes following him to the ground. “Babe, babe, are you okay?” “What happened?” “Can you hear me?” She rolled him onto his back to check his pulse. He appeared to be going into cardiac arrest. She started compressions. As she counted aloud to thirty she opened his mouth to administer one breath. She tried her best not to panic and trust her skills, after all, she was trained for this. She did this three times then ran to call an ambulance. Her voice was tremored as she clicked call.

“Hello…….my husband has had a heart attack and I gave him three cycles of chest compressions and three rounds of breaths, we live at 1505 Castlewood Dr. Please Hurry.”

“Thank you ma’am. Can you tell me your name?”

“My name is Cyphrus Ruth”

“Okay great. Thank you, Mrs. Ruth, how long has he been in cardiac arrest?”

“About fifteen minutes including the time of compression and breathes”

“The dispatcher is about 2 minutes away. Did your husband have a pulse when you left him?”

“Yes, I caught him as he collapsed— here is the ambulance!”

The ambulance came to a hastened stop. The door opens and two paramedics hop out. A tense look is etched onto the face of the younger paramedic. His strong jawline was intensified by the stress. The older paramedic was calm, he had a small smile displayed. He always made it a point to comfort the callers, they could give the most information.