Susan's Shadow
227 Words
James sat outside the compound that evening, watching children chase each other down the street, their laughter rising like music. He smiled faintly, then stared down at his phone.
No messages. No calls.
Until one came.
Susan.
His fingers froze. The same Susan who left without warning. The same woman who convinced him to leave his job, his family — everything.
He stared at the screen. Let it ring once. Twice.
Then answered.
Her voice was soft, almost unfamiliar. “James… hey.”
He said nothing.
“I heard you’re back home. I wanted to talk.”
James’s chest tightened. “Why now?”
“I made mistakes,” she said. “I was scared… I ran. I didn’t know what I wanted.”
He almost laughed. “And now you do?”
A pause.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I miss you. I miss us. Maybe we could meet?”
James sat still, the silence between them heavy.
“I’m not the same person anymore, Susan,” he said finally. “And I’m not sure ‘us’ ever really existed.”
Another pause. Then: “Okay. I understand.”
The call ended.
James sat there, heart pounding — not with sadness, but clarity. For the first time, he didn’t feel like chasing her. He didn’t feel lost without her.
He felt… free.
- Writer
