The Hotel Room

Richard found Lucille sitting on the balcony outside a hotel room, her back against the sliding glass door, and facing the fence surrounding the balcony. Richard cautiously stepped into the room, looking around. He saw the beds had already been made, and the room freshly smelled of his wife’s perfume. He knew he had broken her heart once again and felt it could never be mended because his terrible addiction just couldn’t be shaken. Richard thought over and over about what to say and how to say it as he drove frantically, looking everywhere for Lucille. The truth of the matter is that Richard knew there weren’t any words to explain himself this time. Richard knew he was in over his head knowing this wasn’t his first drunken womanizing mistake. Over and over he watched, as be broke Lucille’s heart into a million irreplaceable pieces. Time and time again he found himself falling at Lucille’s feet begging for another chance. Time and time again Lucille gave it to him because she knew she loved him.

This time Richard knew it could be over for good; he knew what he had to do and it wasn’t going to be easy. Lucille sat in silence, her eyes red and puffy from crying all night. Never turning her head, Lucille doesn’t acknowledge the sounds of someone approaching her from behind. Richard continuous slowly walking up to Lucille and nervously sits in the chair next to her. Silence lingers, the only noise to be heard is the wind rushing through the trees just outside the fence. Lucille doesn’t look up, only leans over to cover her eyes filled with tears. Richard lays his wedding ring on the table and softly speaks, “I thought over and over in my head what to say, but really, now that I’m here I know there isn’t anything to say. I won’t and I can’t put you through anymore pain.” Richard gets up and begins to walk through the hotel room towards the door. Lucille looks at the ring and begins sobbing uncontrollably. “I don’t want you to go! You are the man I fell in love with eight years ago. We had a connection, one that no one else had despite the fact that I saw the struggles we would face. Even if you walked out right now I know that under all the brokenness I will still love you.” These were the words Lucille blurted out as tears ran down her cheeks onto the table underneath her. The wind blew harder, bringing a chill to the room, and some how filling Richard’s heart with a sense of love for his wife who sat outside shivering. Richard saw a blanket sitting on a chair beside the bed. He picked it up, walked over to Lucille, and gently covered her cold shoulders. “Do you know why I came here,” questioned Lucille. “No, why,” replied Richard. Lucille lifted her heavily puffed red eyes and brought them to Richard’s. “This was where you brought me for our one year anniversary. You slept in that bed,” Lucille pointing to the bed on the right. “And I slept in that bed,” pointing to the bed on the left. “You brought me breakfast the next morning disguised as room service. The lights were dim and music played. I lay there eating my hard-boiled egg when I felt something hard and round; it was an engagement ring. You picked me up from the bed, kissed me, and began dancing me through the room. It was during that moment I knew I had an un-replaceable love for you.” Lucille began to sob once again as Richard turned and walked away. Unsure whether he was coming back, her tears streamed down faster and a fearful loneliness filled her heart.

Lucille was about to give up on Richard ever coming back when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Room service had entered the room and began speaking softly to Lucille. “Mamma, this is for you.” “I don’t want anything right now, thank you,” cried Lucille as room service tried to hand her something to eat. “How about I just leave it here on the table and you can decide later.” Room service walked out leaving the food tray on the

table. Lucille turned and saw it was a hard-boiled egg. Lucille stared at the egg for a moment then began tearing open the egg. Inside she found a heart, which said, “I will also always love you, which is why I must let you go. I can’t keep hurting you. Please understand you will always be in my heart.” Signed Richard. Lucille ran for the lobby, took the stairs as fast as she could go, and dashed out the door only to see her Richard driving off into the mess of California traffic. Walking back into the hotel room Lucille looked around at the neatly made up beds, freshly vacuumed floor, and the destroyed boiled-egg on the table with Richard’s ring laying next to it. This room now only brought to her sadness and loneliness. Unable to bear it, she packs her things and begins walking out when suddenly she stops, looks back, and stars at the egg on the table and Richard’s ring. Lucille walks over to the table, hesitates for a moment, and then slowly begins removing her wedding ring from her long slender finger. Lucille gently lays it down beside Richards as more tears fall down her cheek. “I too will always love you,” Lucille whispered. She touches her husband’s ring for the last time, imagining his warm tender hand, hoping maybe this isn’t really the end.