Just Missed It

Noellia stared at the paper posted on the wall in front of her, held up by a single tac on the bulletin board. Her eyes lit up while she read her name at the top of the list; “Noellia G. Gonzalez Santos.” She ran out of the hallway, pushing past the crowd of other students. Her curls bounced and flying strands grew frizzier as she ran. Noellia’s legs pushed her faster out of the building, down the concrete steps, and into the sidewalk. Her heart pounded and echoed in her ears, but she did not stop running.

Once she was a few blocks away from the university’s library, she came to a halt and nearly fell over with how quickly she stopped. Her shortened breathing and heavy panting slowed, and she let out a loud scream of excitement. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her email. Once she received the email confirmation, she let out another excited shriek. Someone walked out of their house and yelled at her, “Hey, it’s the middle of the night. Shut up!”

She looked around to find herself deep within the suburban area surrounding the university. Noellia gathered her posture and turned back to smile at the person, but they had already gone back inside their home. She studied the features of the home and daydreamed she would one day live in a house as cozy as that one. A musical alarm went off on her phone and startled her; it was a midnight reminder to check the results.

The world’s biggest smile appeared on her face and butterflies fluttered about within her entire body. She opened the email once again on her phone displaying the results. “The William Oaks University’s Faulkner Library, partnered by Ink Blot Whimsy Press, would like to announce the winners of this year’s annual literary award!” She scrolled further and rubbed her thumb over the screen where her name was.

“The winner will have their work published by the city’s local publisher, Ink Blot Whimsy Press. Top three contenders will also have their work criticized and reviewed by our top writers and editors at the publishing company.”

Her eyes watered and she read the email over and over during her walk through the city. At the edge of the suburbs, came the smaller buildings growing in size right as she reached the inner downtown surrounded by high rises so tall she would always bend her neck trying to look up at them. A sign across the street advertising late-night Empanadas caught her eye. She gushed over the savory aroma instead of looking both ways.

Headlights flashed and horns blared until everything went dark. An ambulance siren wailing in the distance grew closer to her. She tried opening her eyes or moving her arms, but her body was limp. Her limbs felt heavier than they’ve ever been. Paramedics rushed to her side and she felt someone rhythmically compressing her chest. After what felt like an eternity, someone threw a cloth over her body.

“No, wait. I can’t die yet!” She screamed but could not move her mouth to speak.

Sweet roses and carnations rested at a memorial resting spot. Noellia rose next to the spot where her picture lay framed in the middle of the sidewalk surrounded by dozens of candles and flowers. She scratched her head and went to go touch the shoulder of someone who knelt in front of the picture. Her hand phased right through them and she crouched beside them to see it was her girlfriend Nina. She watched her hold another picture tightly between her arms.

In the picture, the two women sat at a snowy bench in the middle of Emerson Square Park. Noellia was wearing a golden headband that read “Happy New Year”, and the bench was surrounded by glittering streams and sparkling lights. Noellia’s mind raced and horns echoed in her ears. The traffic in her mind was silenced only by Nina saying goodbye and walking away.

“Wait!” she tried to grab Nina’s shoulder but again, she fell right through her. Nina didn’t notice her at all and kept walking in another direction. Noellia panicked and tried to follow her but she was stopped before reaching the end of the block. An invisible barrier was stopping her from crossing the street and following Nina.

“No, wait!” She struggled to break past this imaginary wall blocking her, but she couldn’t break past it. “Please… I need to be with her.” Her eyes watered for a little while but soon her tears faded into the nothingness that grew inside her. She slumped down in front of another picture frame and looked down to see herself in that picture. Noellia had been giving a bath to their Corgi, Leila, whose auburn fur was covered in bubble suds. The bottom of the photo was framed shy of two months beforehand.

“Why can’t I go back?” Noellia slowly leaned into the photo. Hot tears streamed down her face and her heart flowed with longing until she was sucked into the photo. She screamed for a moment until realizing she was back in her apartment.

“What’s going on!” She cried out into the empty apartment. A soft pitter-patter came running into the living room from the bedroom.

“Leila!” Noellia shouted out with glee when she saw her fluffy bundle of joy running up towards her. She kneeled down and Leila jumped into her lap and licked her face. “I don’t know what’s happening… I miss you so much.” She nuzzled and cuddled Leila for a long time before speaking again.

Leila lowered her head and trotted off, leading Noellia to hers and Nina’s bedroom. They found Nina laying in their bed, buried in blankets and bawling her eyes out. She held onto more pictures of their little family and even of a sonogram of their newest addition.

“Oh my god, Nina, you didn’t tell me!” Noellia cuddled up behind Nina, who coughed at the cool breeze.

“I didn’t get to tell you, yet. But this time it was a success!” Nina rubbed her teary eyes while holding up the sonogram. “I had just come back from my gyno’s office to check this morning,” she sniffled, “and it worked!”

“Did you tell Kimmy?” she asked Nina, knowing she wouldn’t get a direct answer. She stroked Nina’s hair and kissed her cheek.

“Kimmy doesn’t know yet, she’s been with her father for the past few days.” Nina answered to her surprise. “I didn’t know how to tell her, and she kept asking me when you were coming home.”

Nina froze in place and all of her emotions clashed down like thunder and swallowed her heart in melancholy. The tears she couldn’t cry earlier were streaming down and wetting the bedsheets. Leila curled up at their feet and Nina petted her head gently. Noellia continued kissing Nina’s cheeks, but Nina couldn’t feel a single peck. She only felt a cold draft that brought her out of bed to close the window. Nina grabbed the sonogram copy and her heart hunk.

“I can’t believe you missed this. You were here yesterday and now.. we’re alone.”