In a train that led us out of Boston, we sat together on a sloping bench near the sliding door.
"So, what made you decide to leave?" I asked.
He scratched the back of his head and raised both eyebrows the way my dad does when he's about to give me financial advice. "Uh," he breathed, "I don't, uh. I don't really know, actually," he shrugged, "Sorry, that's not really an answer. I just--I don't have anything tying me down at home, and I got this job offer that would've been too hard to refuse. So, I took it," he paused for a moment, stroked his third day scruff. "And, uh. I guess I'm going." My forehead creased. "I think I just started realizing that I'm not going to be in this spot forever, you know? Like, I'm twenty-four. And I love the city, so I'm going for a while. To get it out of my system, before, you know," he motioned with his hands, "a wife. Kids. Mortgage."
"Right," I nodded, "sounds like you know what you want."
"I love it back home, but--"
***
Oh, nothing, just wanted to ask you if you remember that episode of The Office where Jim comes back from Stamford.
I had lunch with an old friend yesterday, and that episode repeated in my mind.
***
The train door slid open, jolting us both. My curls, fallen from humidity, stuck to my lipstick. I looked up at him without regrouping.
"But you want to go," I finished. He nodded.
"I do. I just want to try leaving," breaking our contact, his eyes moved to the ground, "and see if I come back."
We stood up in unison and exited, leaving the conversation in the car, but I'll never forget it.
"But you want to go," I finished. He nodded.
"I do. I just want to try leaving," breaking our contact, his eyes moved to the ground, "and see if I come back."
We stood up in unison and exited, leaving the conversation in the car, but I'll never forget it.
