The Frozen Tea

“Some tea?” he said standing by the bed.  He held a silver tray with a silver teapot, a ceramic mug, and a plate with Oreo cookies.  There was a napkin too.

She looked at him from the bed, pressing her eyes to his, squeezing them like coins in a fist. 

He smiled patiently and motioned with the tray that he was going to put it down on her lap.

She watched him.

“Darling, try to sit up so I can put this down.”

She looked at the tray, then she looked back at him.  She saw him smile and she didn't smile back and she went on watching him.

He reached over her and set the tray down on his side of  the bed. 

“This will make you feel better,” he said.

She held the blankets high under her chin against her chest.

“Darling, please...”  he said inches from her face.

She turned her face away until he straightened back up. 

In the dim light from the hallway he could see her eyes and the cold-cream around her eyes.

“It's just your imagination,” he said gently.

She went on watching him. 

“It's all just your imagination...”

They looked at each other in silence.  She watched his frozen sincerity thaw on his face.  Finally he turned away.  She watched him as he walked to the door and as he turned off the light-switch which was already off, and as he left the room, closing the door gently. 

She listened to him listening from outside the door.  She listened for a full minute. Then she heard him walk down the stairs and out the front door and down the outside brick steps and though she couldn't hear him after that, she listened anyway.



-The End-

(300 Words)