by Rae Cod

He watched her from a distance as she sat on the front step of her porch, staring with eyes that were somewhere else. Her beautiful dark hair was piled up in a head scarf. A tangle had broken free, and he was surprised to see it shot through with white. Maybe not so surprised. Brutal way to go.

They were friends once. He hadn’t liked that. Maybe he wasn’t as stupid as he looked. But he wasn’t here anymore, perhaps they could be friends again.

He worked up his swagger and approached the house.

‘Hi Dee.’

Her dark eyes registered confusion as they drifted back from that faraway place, then surprise as recognition dawned.

‘I didn’t think you’d ever come back here,’ she said, in that voice as smooth and dark as treacle.

‘I saw his obituary in the paper,’ he said simply.

She nodded.

Finally, wearily…