Spectrums

Jenna studied her reflection in the mirror. Surprisingly, she wasn’t able to detect any sign of the tears that had been there earlier. She tilted her face even closer, scrutinizing every feature. Although the tears weren’t visible, the overwhelming weariness was. And despite the fact that she felt it throughout her entire body, it was almost as if it had traveled through some invisible transit system and collected in her eyes. She thought for a moment that maybe it was just sadness. But no, it was much more encompassing, much more deeply felt. Certainly sadness was a part of it, but…before she could complete the thought, a recurring question pushed its way to the forefront. I’m only twenty-three-years-old, how did all this happen? Of course, there was a simple answer; one that she had come up with a hundred times before. But, like most simple answers to emotional questions, it wasn’t totally accurate, and it wasn’t particularly helpful. ... Just at that moment she heard a stirring in another part of the apartment. She held her breath and remained perfectly still, listening intently to make sure she hadn’t imagined it. No, there it was again. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands and moved toward the noise, realizing that the stirring she had heard was probably the only thing in the world that could have halted her tears.