I nervously pulled out my phone and dialed my doctor. ” Dr. Snoresack? ” It’s me Justina Marshwit I Need to make an emergency appointment! I think I may be delusional, hallunicating! Maybe I have an unknown symptom of some kind of something, I’m freaking out! “
” Justina ” Dr. Snoresack spoke with a slow deep breathy voice.

I felt a tingle go up my spine, I was in love with him, and every word he spoke was ice cream to my heart.

” By now you must know you can call me Jerry,” he paused, his silence enveloped my soul, ” please don’t worry,….. it’s probably just post traumatic stress, from the stress of the pandemic, we can schedule an appointment soon, as soon as I return from the monastery.”

” Oh my that’s right I forgot you were going to the monastery, ” we were so casual, he and I, so casual, so comfortable, “Take an epsom salt bath and take a nap, really try to relax, I’ll be back, on Monday. You can come and see me in the afternoon.” “Yes,” I said, “yes I can see you in the afternoon,” I repeated like a zombie, did he know, did he know I was obsessed with him?

I put down the phone and looked up, Wahca was out of sight, I heard a shuffling coming from my bedroom, I walked in to see her trying on a straw hat with artificial red flowers.  I felt a mixture of emotions, “What are you doing with my hat?”

“How do I look?” She said as she turned, she had a natural beauty, she wasn’t self conscious,  “Beautiful, “ I said, “but I think you should go, I need some time,” “Yes, we can visit again soon, ” she said, then she took my hand in hers, ” you are my sister in the silver window,” I accompanied her back to the bathroom mirror. Wahca removed the hat, but I took it and placed it back on her head, 

“ I want you to have it. ” Wahca smiled at me and intensely looked into my eyes, then turned and stepped through the mirror. The surface rippled and vibrated as she moved through it. I reached out and touched the surface to once again play with the ripples like before and realized that it had transformed back to cold hard glass.

I slapped my hand against it, and then again, to be sure, but it was certainly back to being a hard reflective surface. I suddenly felt very alone.

Continued by  Michelle Sullivan

The light was now beginning to descend across the skyscrapers of the city. As I walked across to pull down the blinds, I looked down to see where all the barking was coming from. It must have been a dog on Macdougal Street. Everything had been so much quieter since the pandemic and I had finally felt the true luxury of my grandmothers rent controlled one bedroom apartment. 

I closed the blinds, poured myself a glass of cherry seltzer in the kitchen, and walked across to my desk in the living room. It was time. I opened the laptop and fired her up. “Tiffany would surely support me. We have been through so much together.” I thought.

Text Chat Bubble: Tiffany, Are you there? 

Tiffany: Hey Justina. I’m here. I’m still at work. I’m soooooo bored right now. 

Justina: Is Evan there? 

Tiffany: No. THANK GOD. He left early because we were quiet and he had allergies. Like so annoying. 

Justina: So annoying.

Tiffany: Worst. He doesn’t care. I sold the M5 here this morning to a Morgan Stanley banker from New Jersey and so my commissions are good for the month. I can do whatever I like!

Justina: Damn girl.Those money men love you. That BMW dealership job is really working out for you. 

Tiffany: Totally. It’s these classes I’ve been taking at City College. The art of influence. Stick with me girl – I’ll hook you up. 

Justina: I have decided to do it. I’m going to break up with Anthony and tell Dr Snoresack how I feel. Today he told me to call him JERRY!

Tiffany: Justina. Have you lost your damn mind??? No. Girl. No. We talked about this. 

Justina: I want to find out when he comes back from the monastery. I’m going to tell him. 

Tiffany: No Justina. What you and Anthony have is tight. I know the pandemic has been hard with Anthony’s work and shit. Don’t mess up what you have for that day dream shit with your Doctor. 

Justina: I need you to please support me Tiffany. 

Tiffany: I’ll be paying for more therapy for you is where we’re going at this rate. 

Justina: I’m doing it. It’s just a ….a…. polite decline. 

I snapped down the laptop. Snap! 

What did Tiffany know anyway? She hadn’t been in a relationship since Kevin and that was almost 3-years ago. Plus – she didn’t know Jerry like I did. I walked into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. That cold icy mirror starred my reflection back to me. I thought of Wahca and the farm. What did I need most right now? Confidence! I scrambled around in the drawer and found my MAC lipstick in Ruby Woo. Exactly what I needed. I applied two coats. Slowly. Methodically. I pursed my lips into a tissue to make sure it was on tight and sealed. I would need it like armor to take my next step. I took a deep breath. 

I walked slowly back out into the living room. It was dark now and I turned on the lights and lit the candles around the fireplace. I took a few sips of the seltzer and picked up the telephone. 

Hi sweetheart … yeah I had a great day, no no I’m not sad. I was just not expecting you to answer to quickly that’s all. Babe… what? Yes I did read your article in the Times on Sunday. No… no, I didn’t know those statistics about homelessness on the Upper West Side. What did your Dad say about it? Oh, that’s good. That’s uncharacteristically positive coming from him. Did he have success with that cortisol injection in his knee? Oh good. God bless him. 

Yes, I miss you too. Also.. it’s just that.. um… I think we should see other people…. Please don’t get upset. 

 By Michelle Sullivan  

What happens next?  Don’t hold back!  Let your Mirror ROAR!