fall vacation scooters

he was attracted to her in a way that was similar

to the way that a young son is attracted to his mother

he sat at his desk

with his legs crossed

contemplating the mistakes he had made

that caused seemingly every relationship

he ever sought

to fizzle

did he try too hard

or was it just something that occurred naturally

when he had first met her

he thought she was average looking

at best

he first gained the confidence

to ask her out

after a night of drinking

and analyzing his loneliness

their first

and last dates

were similar in that he bled at some point during each

during the first date he received a paper cut while paying the bill

during the last date she stabbed him in the shoulder with a nail file

even after getting out of prison

he still thought about her

as if she were still breathing