IT WAS LIKE DANCING. a tireless dance at that. you followed motions over and over until your head hit the pillow. that was her job now. and she saw it just as that, a job. life feels unfulfilled and quiet despite her environment and constant interaction with people. heart longs for a greater purpose but her mind eases this want with debt that weighs on her shoulders. phone buzzes with hum of another stranger to blend into a mirage of faces that filled her dreams. but, she ignores it. instead she picks up her cup of coffee and fingers do their best to absorb the comforting warmth as she takes a sip. mind is elsewhere because that was her happy place, not here. a presence is felt but not fully ( acknowledged ). “ i’m sorry, ” she begins not glancing up from her phone. “ i’m busy for the rest of the evening. ” a lie. @jcmescn *