Candy Hearts

March 1st 2023

A young child and his mother stood in front of me, waiting to check out, while an elderly woman slowly dug through her purse, searching for her wallet. I glanced around me and stood, leaning onto one hip, and sighed. 

My eyes landed on the colorful display behind the counter, and then dropped to a rack of candy hearts with a sign that read “80% off Valentines Day Clearance”. I grabbed a bag and stepped forward, as the woman hobbled out of the store. The cashier rang up the mother, and the child peered out from behind her, our eyes meeting briefly. 

“Can I get a pack of the 3mg citrus?” I asked the cashier when my turn came and flashed my ID. He tossed them into the bag, along with the candy hearts, shampoo and allergy medication I had grabbed. 

“21.58”, he said, staring at the floor. I quickly paid, gathered my things, and walked out the door, into a soft sprinkle of rain. The truck hummed for a moment before turning over, and I tucked a Zyn into my front lip. 

…

Rain fluttered against the windows in my living room, and I pulled the curtains shut. I lit a candle, and poured a dram of whiskey, swallowing it, and promptly pouring another.

I found the dust-covered glass in your things, long after the others had come and claimed what they wanted, and pocketed it. I bought it for you, as a gift, in a time of celebration. I wondered if you remembered these things, when it came to the end.

I peeled open the bag of candy hearts, and they spilled out onto the table. For a while, I sat quietly, listening to the rain and eating the candies, while the whiskey warmed my cheeks. And I thought of you.