Aurora 2025 with cover

Justin Sullins

eventually moved away, and he lost his chance to have her for himself.

While he was drinking his coffee, he heard a bell ring from the doorway. Angie walked inside and waved at the waitress. At first glance, she looked the same as he remembered. As she walked closer to him, he noticed her skin was darker and looser, and her eyes were puffy. Angie sat down and placed her bags next to her in the booth. They caught up for a while and talked about the old times. She told him she tried to reach him before but he never responded. He told her his new life was busy and he often didn’t check his messages. Paul paid the bill and left a two-dollar tip next to the receipt before leaving the restaurant. He agreed to follow behind her even though he thought it was a bad idea. Angie’s car was dirty and had a broken mirror on the passenger side. He thought back to all the times they spent in that car. All the nights they listened to her radio and almost spun out of control. She still crossed over the yellow line the same way she did when she changed the radio station. He was old enough to know not to get in the car with her again. The roads looked like they had been fixed over the years. Most of the businesses were still in the same place. There was the dollar store where they kissed for the first time after skipping church. There was the school parking lot where they met before school. He remembered the bleak hallway after everyone heard what happened. Angie parked her car across the street at the playground, and he pulled up next to her and cut off his engine. Two kids played on the swing set and laughed as they pushed each other into the air. “Why’d you bring me out here?” he asked.

“Come on, I want to show you something. It will all make sense

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