Echoes of Longing

Couples walk in and out of the Marriage Registry. Some hand in hand, some barely looking at each other. Mandy Morris watches from the driver’s seat. Beside her, Tyler Parker sits in silence. Obviously, they don’t fit either category. After a while, he breaks the quiet, “It’s Lois’s birthday today.” Mandy nods. “I know. Won’t take long.” He lights a cigarette, a gesture he hasn’t made in years. At that moment, Mandy wonders... Does he still remember how their relationship began?