Honey

She hated being in that old house all by herself. His presence was the only thing that made it livable. And he was still miles away. But he was on his way; on his way home to see her once again.

It was early in the evening, but the sun was already set as she laid in her king size canopy bed. The muted television projected different shades of light in the dark room, but she hardly noticed. She clutched her blanket close to her as she stared at the phone.

The phone let out a blaring ring, and a smile spread over her face. She knew it was him.

"Hello," she spoke into the receiver.

"Hey," she heard him speak through what she knew was a smile. She could hear the rush of wind around him as he sped down the highway. "How're you?" he asked.

She closed her eyes. "God, I'd be doing so much better if you were here with me. I miss you."

He laughed. "Thank God for cell phones then, huh?"

She nodded her head. "They only ease the pain a little." She sighed lightly, but it echoed through the empty room. "When will you be here? When..."

He interrupted her. "Not long. An hour maybe." He laughed. "You've survived this long without me." They both smiled. "An hour, hon..."

"An hour," she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she heard over the phone before there was only silence. She closed her eyes, laid her head back on her pillow, and smiled.

A strong rush of air entered her lungs as she startled awake with the word, "Honey?" escaping her lips. She looked around the dark room, only lit by the colors of the television. She was all by herself. She looked at the clock. His hour had passed.

A feeling of emptiness overtook her, but she didn't consciously notice. She hurriedly picked up the phone and dialed his cell phone. It rang once. Then twice. Midway through the third ring, she heard, "Hello?"

She smiled as she heard his voice, although it was almost drowned out by the sound of a driving rain in the background. "Hey, hon..."

"Hello?" the voice said again, more panicked. "I, I can't hear you."

"Honey," she almost screamed into the phone.

Then she heard him say from further away as if he were tinkering with the phone, "Damn thing's messed up again..."

"Honey!" Her screams were becoming panicked.

Then, his voice seemed closer to the phone again. "I know this is you, hon, but I can't hear you." He paused as she listened. "I'll see you..." There was a longer pause. Then the connection was broken.

She threw the phone back onto the cradle, but before she could pick it up to dial his number again, it rang.

"Hello? Honey?" she answered in desperation.

But there was no answer. Just the sound of driving rain again. Then, the sound of an older man clearing his voice as if readying to speak. "Hello?" he said.

"Who is this?" she screamed.

The man remained calm. "Is this Mrs. Trevor?" he asked.

"Yes!" she screamed. "Who is this?"

"Sergeant Locker, state police. Can you come to the intersection of Cherry and Tremain?"

She was silent. She knew the intersection well. It was a mile from their home.

She was blinded by the blue and red blinking lights as she walked out of her car and into the wet street. Lightning flashed in the distance, but the rain had since ceased. Then she saw it. Her husband's car was crushed up against a brick wall. But he was nowhere to be seen.

"When did it happen?" she asked Sgt Locker.

"About a half hour before we talked. I'm really sorry Mrs..."

"Where is he?" she asked while her eyes searched the wreckage.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Trevor. He died instantly." She turned as white as the snow. "We were sifting through the wreckage when we heard a phone ring. By the time we got to it, the ringing had stopped. But it showed that you had called. So we returned the call."

"But, my husband." Her tears started falling like rain. "I spoke to him! He said..." She lost her words as she fell to the ground, clutching his cell phone to her, and in that instant it turned off.