The Truth About Gravity: Chapter One

Janice looked across the table, first at her best friend and

then at her sister. “You two have to be kidding me,” she said, shaking her

head. “You know how I feel about weddings, and you definitely know how I feel

about dates.”

“Yeah, we know,” her friend Nirece smirked. “But maybe if

you went out once in a while the dust wouldn’t blow off you when you walked.”

“What’s that supposed to mean,” Janice asked, locking eyes

with Nirece.

“She just means that it wouldn’t hurt for you to get out

once in a while,” her sister, Lara replied. Lara turned her head towards

Nirece, shooting the other woman a quick warning look and then focused her

attention back at Janice. “I know that losing Cheryl wasn’t easy, but I also

know that she wouldn’t want you to spend the rest of your years alone.”

“I know that you say that…” Janice trailed off. There were

not words to express the way that she had felt for Cheryl, and the fact that Cheryl

was not by her side still caught her by surprise every once in a while. Cheryl

had been the ying to her yang. She had been the only person that understood her

and knowing that she would never be able to have a conversation with the other

woman was heartbreaking.

The two of them had been together for almost ten years

before Cheryl was diagnosed with stage four kidney complications. Janice was

sure that it was the medications that the doctor had put her partner on, but

there was not any way to prove it. The two had fought for a long time, trying

to monitor Cheryl’s diet, getting the proper amount of exercise, and even making

time for social engagements. However, since Cheryl’s diagnosis had come so late

in the game, there was not much that they could do. Time was limited from the moment

that the words escaped the doctor’s mouth, and Janice still had not gotten over

it.

Every day that she woke up, Janice looked across the bed at

Cheryl’s pillow, hoping that her brown hair was cascading across it and her

gentle snores filled the room. However, she was greeted by cold sheets and an

imprint in the pillow next to her where Cheryl’s head had once rested. She

would spend a half an hour looking across the room and remembering her late

partner before getting up and making a hot cup of coffee. It was difficult to

get motivated. She knew that she should. She knew that her friends were worried

about her but knowing that she had to live the rest of her life without the

woman that she loved was almost too much. She knew that she was blessed to even

have the time that she did with Cheryl. She had never imagined that kind of

love before her, and she knew that she would never find it again. Nevertheless,

it was still difficult to get excited about anything or make plans to do

anything. She would practically have to force herself to do these things. There

were several days that she wondered if she would ever be genuinely happy again.

Granted she was blessed that she had Nirece and her sister

in her life. Without them, she probably would not even leave the house. It

seemed pointless. She had already achieved her dreams and had the experiences

that she wished to. The only thing for her to do now was wait until she could be

reunited with her love once again. Janice took in a deep breath, fighting the

tears that had begun to roll to the corners of her eyes.

“Are you okay, Janice?” Lara asked, a look of concern on her

face.

“Yes, just fine,” Janice said, quickly wiping the tears from

her eyes. “This is just difficult.”

“I know it is, sweetie,” Lara said, placing a hand on Janice’s

and squeezing it gently. “But it’s time. I do not want to lose you too. You are

not really living. You can’t spend the rest of your life in this state.”