All He Had to do Was Call

We weren't like your regular couples. Ours was one built despite the distance of states that separated us. WhatsApp, Zoom were a boon to our relationship.

On a cold November evening, I asked him to call me. He promised to call later that night, so I waited desperately because I hadn't spoken to him for days and every particle in me wanted to hear his voice. Lately, things hadn't been going too well in our relationship and I guess I was searching for the reassurance in his voice. Afterall, he was my everything. And I needed for him to tell me just a few words - I love you or I miss you or anything that was about us.

As if those magic words would make all our problems disappear. No, they wouldn't! But what they would do is equip me with a little more ammo to fight harder for our relationship.

While still waiting I fell off to sleep. The next morning I saw a missed call. Just one. On any other time period of our relationship, there would have been several by him. So, I gave him a missed call. He didn't pick up.

He messaged to say he would call me later. I waited again. 

By now, the voices in my head had started to mock me. Maybe we were heading for a breakup. I wasn't his priority anymore. 

Uhhhh!!!! How it hurt! How it hurt!

Finally, a few days later he called. Apologized. But honestly, I had stopped caring. The wait had taken its toll on my poor heart. It gave away. And when it did, I replaced it with one made of metal. Strong enough to have realistic expectations and practical enough to keep me away from any guy who didn't consider me a priority in his life.