FUNNY HOW SOME men shut down when it’s time to step up. “Greg, do you have the insurance papers?” Suzanne stuck her head in the living room. “Greg? Greg, are you listening?”
He stood frozen in front of the picture window.
“I’ll take that as a no.” She ran upstairs to the study and shoved the papers into her purse. She was fairly sure that their homeowner’s insurance didn’t cover volcano eruptions, but at least they’d have their policy information. A moment later, she was bouncing back down the stairs. “Greg. The car’s packed. We need to go. Now.”
“Everything. It’s… everything,” he muttered. “It’s all falling away.”
She sighed and stroked his back. “Yes, it is. We’ll cry later. Now we’ve got to go.”
“I can’t. How can you be so… cold?” He choked on a sob. “Everything’s gone… and you don’t care.”
Leave him.
The thought wrapped around her mind like a vice. Everything she did to keep the family together, the affairs, the sacrifice, the forgiveness, and now, all he does is stand and stare, unable to commit to even saving himself.
Leave him.
No. She laid her face against his back. “Greg. Let’s go.”
198 Words
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Written for FLASH FICTION FOR THE PURPOSEFUL PRACTITIONER- 2018 WEEK #31
Liz Charnes 
Nice one! 🙂
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Thank you!
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Most welcome! 🙂
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People react to emergencies differently, but I admit that a volcanic eruption would probably freak me out, too.
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She’s a little hard-hearted, if you ask me. I’d be freaking out, too.
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Somebody’s got to keep their head in a crisis, but I agree, leaving him to die would not be an option.
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But.. in her defense, she would be able to refer to her erstwhile hubby as ‘a hot piece of ash’…
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*reads comment, spits out coffee
HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Stop wasting coffee!!
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Note to self: No reading the britchy one when drinking coffee!! (Or at least have a supply of paper towels available.)
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Volcano on the outside, ice on the inside. Excellent balance.
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Greg does seem to need to get-a-grip! Enjoyed!! Thanks for participating in the challenges.
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