Hecate
A day to remember...
She woke up in the morning in the usual way. Drool running down her cheek and a pillow over her head.
She wiped her cheek with the pillowcase and tried to get up.
She couldn’t though.
Something was holding her legs down.
It was her cat.
She loved her cat. He was sweet... when he wanted something.
“Fine. Five more minutes, but I really do have to pee.”
The cat purred her approval. He wanted some pets. He rubbed his wet nose on her hand as she rubbed his eager face.
He liked it when she touched his face.
Temperatures in the mid-seventies. Cloudy, but not raining. Light breeze.
Her favorite weather.
She walked to her favorite coffee shop. The barista, who always got her name wrong, but her order right was there. His name was Serj.
She assumed Serj was short for something.
Serj got her name right this time. And her order.
She thanked him and gave him a bigger tip than usual.
She met her mother for lunch at a cafe with outdoor seating.
Her mother wanted to sit inside.
Usually, she gave in to whatever her mother wanted. Not that day.
“I like it out here.”
Her mother did not protest. It was a surprise.
They talked about her father. He was enjoying his retirement.
They talked about her parents’ neighbors. They were having their roof done. Her mother was going to ask for the contractor’s contact information for an estimate.
They talked about her sister... and her husband... and their new baby.
“When do you think you and Roger might... you know...?”
Her mother was never subtle about her dating life. She was very clear that she expected grandchildren from both of her daughters.
She met Roger for dinner.
He picked an Italian restaurant with a name she couldn’t pronounce no matter how many times she tried.
It made Roger laugh, but not in a mean way. In an endearing way.
She loved Roger.
Roger for them both. When having Italian, she always wanted the same dish. Chicken Parmesan.
Roger had never ordered for her before. He never remembered what she ate before.
It felt good that he cared.
She loved Roger.
They talked about his day. He had worked and settled a large, complicated account.
They talked about her day. She told him about lunch with her mother.
“She asked about us again.”
“Oh,” he said.
Desert came. There was a ring on a slice of cake.
Roger got down on one knee.
“Yes. Yes of course!”
Leaving the restaurant, hand in hand, she stepped ahead of Roger and turned to look at him.
Her fiancé.
She loved the sound of that.
She loved him.
She did not see the car as she stepped forward.
A pale woman in an all-black, long sleeved Victorian era dress with lace trim watched.
It was the best day. A perfect day.
A day to remember...
... for eternity.
***
She woke up in the morning in the usual way. Drool running down her cheek and a pillow over her head.
She wiped her cheek with the pillowcase and tried to get up.
She couldn’t though.
Something was holding her legs down.
It was her cat.
She loved her cat. He was sweet... when he wanted something.
“Fine. Five more minutes, but I really do have to pee.”
The cat purred her approval. He wanted some pets. He rubbed his wet nose on her hand as she rubbed his eager face.
He liked it when she touched his face.
***
The pale woman watched… always.
There was a kind of mercy, she thought, to let a soul live their best day forever.
She meant it as a gift.
Others called it Heaven.
Or Hell.
Some called it haunting.
The pale woman watched.
It was the best day. A perfect day.
A day to remember...
... for eternity.
The only person other than my prof to use the name Hecate. That one word was enough to spark my interest.
Enjoyed this a lot! Thanks for sharing 💜