My Morning Routine Re: Alex
My morning starts with his.
SHWOOMP
His door slams. It’s my alarm clock.
My door rattles
rattle
rattle
rattle
And I’m awake.
My nerves
rattle
rattle
rattle
A sharp
Click-click.
And then:
one. two. three. four. five. six.
I get up.
lightly
lightly
lightly
Two feet of hallway separate us.
one. two. three. four. five. six.
I pad barefoot to the door.
lightly
lightly
lightly
I peer through the peephole.
lightly
lightly
lightly
I see him.
one. two. three. four. five. six.
He’s there. He pulls at the door handle, again and again and again. I feel my door shake.
one. two. three. four. five. six.
My fingertips pressed
lightly
lightly
lightly
He stops. I hold my breath.
one. two. three. four. five. six.
Threes, sixes, and nines. That’s what he told me.
one. two. three. four. five. six.
He takes a step back. Stares down the knob. Circles it. Studies it. Dares it. Reaches forward.
one. two. three. four. five. six.
Another step back. Another twist. Another hard look.
And then:
Slowly suddenly he tears himself away. He stalks down the hall. Down the stairwell. Footsteps not so
lightly
lightly
lightly
Sometimes he comes back. But not today.
one. two. three. four. five. six.
OCD is a bitch.
I turn to the bathroom, turn on the light. Pull out my ponytail and size up my hair. My morning starts.
But really, my morning starts with his.
By: Jessica Mifsud
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