All I wanted was Peanut Butter Waffles.

This place? Yes, it looks like the place...

Scary waitress.
Ratted blonde hair. Walked out of the seventies. Cigarette cough. Sniffles.
Should we stay?

No Peanut Butter Waffles.
Stay anyway.

Strong coffee.
Lipstick on your napkin from our kisses.
We laugh. Your smiling eyes.
The beard you grew for me.
Handsome as ever.

Great breakfast. Check arrives.
God bless you.
Amazing waitress.

My five dollar tip. You go up to pay.
Slip my arms around your waist.
You take my hands. Rest my head on your back. Breathe in your scent.
Listen to you heart beating and mine is calm.
Feels so right.
I could stay here forever.

Back into the pouring rain. My hand in yours.
Last day together. Off to the airport.
This is going to hurt.

Waffle Shack. Not Waffle House.
Same yellow tiles.
Lies.
Were our feelings?

And then he said,
in an almost whisper,
‘is this where you start to drift away?’

I could feel
the swelling of emotions
in my throat
and the heat of my tears forming
as I replied ‘no’.

My heart hurt because he knew me so well.
He knew I pushed away
when I was hurt by someone.
This man who knew my soul and loved it.
Knew.
He knew exactly what I would do.
And that is what I did.

This time
it was away
from him.