she’d been here for hours, bless her heart. seated next to him, their only light being the street light down the road a few feet. the sun had gone down, and still, here she sat. he’d never met such a compassionate human, someone willing to sit and listen to his bullshit. myra always butted in, made things about her, to the point where he’d eventually just turned his phone off. this one -- hattie, he’d learned -- was nothing like her. she was gentle, kind, attempting to make him smile through the tears, smile through the anxiety and panic that was riddling his mind. it wasn’t often he allowed himself to feel so heavily outside of his car, where most of his breakdowns happened. today, he hadn’t quite made it. the black cadillac sat three blocks away, parked in his employers car garage. another breath, using the sleeve of his sweater to wipe his eyes, he still couldn’t manage eye contact. the rest of her face, yes; by now, he’d memorized her nose, her lips ... but he couldn’t meet her eyes. “ sorry, ” eddie’s millionth apology to her, clearing his throat in an attempt to stop it from breaking, “ i’m sorry , hattie. you don’t have to sit here with me , i’m sure there’s a million better places you could be . ”