Response 2: One Last Drag, One Less Ex

A whole life in tatters, surrounded by broken memories, that was the truth Kelly faced. A relationship built upon a lie, formed long ago, at a time where everything seemed so happy.

Kelly didn’t speak. She just surveyed the bedroom, the broken ornaments and ripped clothes. She remembered one night, half a lifetime ago, when she entered this room as Mrs. Stone. The memory soiled now by the fact she wasn’t the only woman to enter this room in the last 5 years.

Walking across the room, the carpet felt cold and wet underfoot. She reached for her purse, pulled out a cigarette and bronze lighter, then smiled. The lighter flickered into action and lit her cigarette. A single drag, a flick of the wrist, the cigarette sent flames soaring. Watching the fire take hold, she thought this was as good a day as any to finally give up smoking.