Somewhere Between Fall and Falsehood

Her chin was resting between her knees Her fingers were running smoothly through the sand She didn’t notice my arrival She just sat, staring out at the ocean I could hear the drop of the hallowed cave It echoed and faded at the foot of the fissure The natural awning shielded us from the sun As the waves lapped slowly at her feet and not much further from mine “What a view,” I said, resting my weight against the rocky walls She looked up at me as if coming from a dream For a minute, she just sat there looking wretched Heavy-handed, droopy mouth, bags under her eyes But then she managed a smile; a weary smile I returned it, then looked off at the ocean The waves disappeared behind the horizon And the sun fixed its reflection across the seascape “Why are you here?” she asked with the effort of true curiosity Squinting her eyes and pressing her face above her mouth She’d been staring at the sun again She could probably scarcely see me I forced a smile and sat down close beside her “The sun’s not going to help you, you know,” I said matter-of-factly I continued to look at her as she buried her face in her legs again Her dirty blonde hair wafting with the wind like meteor showers “I know,” she said, muffling her speech Looking away for a minute, I turned back to see her with tears in her eyes “But what else will?” she genuinely asked, and softly sobbed My mouth hung loose at her irregular directness Eventually catching myself, I put my arm around her shoulder “I will. We all will,” I said and smiled once again In doing so she then relaxed her head on my shoulder And for those few minutes, believed me fully Somewhere deep within, she knew the truth though And it would remain there, no matter how comforting my lies got