happy ending

you find her
on the front
porch. she is
wearing the blue
dress she wore
when you first
met her several
months ago. she is
smoking a cigarette
and rubbing her arm
as if trying to
remove something.
you open the door
and ask her if she's
okay. but she
doesn't answer.
her cat runs out
to rub against her leg.
she tells me she's
been with
another man and
that she just
returned from
making love to
him. she looks
up at me with tears
in her eyes. i'm
sorry she says.
do you forgive me?
you don't say a word.
you go back inside
and shut the door.
she's on her own
now. you don't do
betrayal well. you
have no compassion
or forgiveness
for that, and she
understands. you look
out the window,
and see her walk
up the street
with the cat under
her arm.
the moon is suddenly
hard on her, and
in this light you
see what you could
not see before.
a car pulls over
and she gets in.
it's another
happy ending.