"These Doors are Alarmed"

It always made me smile, the sign on the emergency exit of the local pizza place. It made me smile and helped me make her laugh,

"What are they alarmed about? And what about the windows? Are they concerned, anxious? What do you think?"

A silly joke, born of first, first date nerves, failed to impress with humour, succeeded for effort. She smiled, indulging me,

"I can't tell about the windows but those walls don't care at all."

We both laughed. A silly joke, a small joke perhaps, but our joke. A shared moment that soon became part of us, our history together.

Until 'together' became history too.

- - -

She chooses the same pizza place to tell me. This time she's nervous, this dumping a first for both of us. I turn away in shock, hiding my watering eyes, afraid to look at her. I turn back, away from the hard stare of those uncaring walls, in time to see, through the indifferent windows, her exit from my life.

At least the doors know how I feel.