she slides a smudged shot class down the bar. I catch it before it leaps its last onto the warped floor. "I feel so bad for you" Fire rises to my throat but I extinguish it with my spirit. "I wish there was something I could do" "That must be awful" "You're so strong" "You'll get through it" "I'm so sorry" The sober hearted woman wasted me. I tilt to my feet slapping not enough cash on the bar. I try to say I'll never come back but apparently my tongue isn't drunk enough. Instead, I stumble speechless into the night. I hate her, but she's better than drinking alone.