Closure

Flash Fiction

Closure

Walking up to meet my friend Janet for a lunch and shopping, I saw her talking to a woman I didn’t know. Getting closer, I could see they seemed to know one another well. And mid-laughing at something shared, a huge hug was taken before the stranger walked away.

“What was that all about?” I asked when I finally got to Janet.

“Oh, I would have loved to introduce you! She and I grew up together, she was my best friend until they moved to Colorado when we were in sixth grade.”

“Sixth grade? That’s when you and I started being friends! I don’t remember her from school…”

“No, she went to a different school, but we lived next door to each other. I think we met when we were infants. I doubt we even knew we weren’t sisters for years! My mother was her caretaker, at our house, up until we started school.

“Oh gosh! How did I never hear about her?”

“Probably because when they moved away, I was broken for a while. My parents even sent me to a kid shrink, I was so depressed. Then I met you, and we hit it off like sisters.”

“But you never mentioned her? I would have remembered.”

“I couldn’t, without crying, after they moved. My “shrink” told me I didn’t have to talk about her, I would find the right time when I was ready.”

“That’s a long time to feel bad!”

“It was hard at first, then easier over the years. Then, when she came up just now, to say hello, I got my closure, just like the shrink told me I would.”

“What exactly was your “closure?”

“Don’t tell… but I think it was her perfume… she was actually wearing Dowelbaum!”

“Ooh, yuk!”

“Exactly… let’s go shopping!”