HOPE

Simon drank the last of the water in his glass and slammed the glass on the table. He had been stood up. Again. He had freaking met the woman online hoping that he would explain his situation to her before she heard it from other people and hopefully, she would have given him a chance.

He scoffed at himself. He knew he had been a fool to hope for a different outcome when the result had been clear from the beginning because no woman in her right mind would want to be his girlfriend knowing that there was sure death waiting for them.

After a moment of indulging in self-pity and self-loathing, he asked for the bill and paid right away. He then walked out of the restaurant quickly determined to put some distance between the restaurant and himself. As he hastened his steps, he realized that he had tricked himself into thinking that the restaurant la Kempinski would hold a new beginning for him but now he knew that he had been completely and utterly wrong.

He continued ahead hurriedly as his surrounding blurred past his vision. His head was swarming with undesirable thoughts and his heart ached with terrible loneliness. He was about to turn the corner and continue on a different street when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Hey lover boy, are you going to leave your car behind?"

Simon turned and looked at the source of the voice. He knew that voice very well and right now it was a welcome reprieve from the chaos inside his mind.

"Hi Kara. Nice to see you too," he replied hating the way his voice sounded weak.

Kara regarded him for a second then approached him with a small smile.

"You look like sh*t," she said in a joking tone.

"I know, "he replied letting out a tired sigh.

"Want a hug? " she asked seriously .

"Yeah... yeah" he said and fell into her arms and holding onto her tightly. He could feel her hands brushing his back and he tightened his hold on her. He knew that she perfectly understood what he was feeling because she had been there right from the beginning and that is why after he had been stood up the first time, she had made it her mission to accompany him to all blind dates afterwards. She usually went into a club opposite the restaurant from where she would keep an eye on him so it was only natural that she knew he had been stood up today and came to comfort him.

"Forget the fucking bitch. She does not know what she is missing out on," she whispered.

Simon only took in a deep breath and buried his head in the crook of her neck and took whatever comfort his friend offered him.

"Let's get you home," Kara said after a while and Simon tossed her his car keys. He knew his mind was not stable enough for him to drive right now.

They walked the short distance to where he had parked his car. Kara was holding his hand all the while and he was super grateful because he was very close to falling apart. In his mind, he let it start to sink in that his lifelong dream was going to remain just a dream.

When they got to his car, Kara opened the passenger door for him and he got in without any protests. He laid his head on the backrest and closed his eyes. He let the fantasy that he had conjured up a long time ago play in front of his eyes.

A chubby baby. Boy or girl, he didn't care. A wife with a beautiful heart. A small two-story house with a white picket fence and two dogs. If his wife wanted, they would get a family mini-van or a truck and they would have more babies. He would not force her into anything, his parents had taught him better than that.

"We're here."

Simon opened his eyes dispensing his reverie at that. He looked outside his window and realized that Kara had driven him to his parents'. He turned his head and smiled gratefully at her.

"Thanks," he said to her.

"No problem. Thought you might need them after... you know," she said while shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

Simon hugged her goodbye and opened the door. He stepped outside and without any hesitation, walked to the front door of his parents' house.

As he raised his hand to knock, the door opened and he was promptly enveloped in a hug. He smiled to himself and returned the hug that could only be his mother's.

"Oh Simon, boy. I am so sorry for what happened. She sure would have been a lovely girl if you two had had the chance to meet properly. Sorry for the loss."

"Mom, she stood me up. Why does it sound like you are offering condolences?" Simon asked while laughing lightly.

Her mother unhooked herself from him and looked at him with eyes full of confusion. After a moment of searching his eyes, she sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

Simon looked at his mother with questioning eyes and after what felt like a century to him, she answered.

"Simon, it sounds like I am offering condolences because that is what I am doing. That girl, Emma, that you were supposed to meet was found murdered in her apartment. Guess what was found beside her,"

"X.O.X.O Carla?" he replied in a questioning tone.

His mother nodded and immediately he felt the air get knocked out of his lungs. As his vision became blurry and he started slipping into darkness, he could see his mother's small frame rushing to him screaming but her screams sounded very, very distant to him.