I Will Love You Forever
I Will Love You Forever
I went to work the day after they announced it. I stocked the shelves and listened to the radio from the speakers in the warehouse ceilings. Cars were piling up at the exits, trying to get out of town. I don’t know where they thought they were escaping to. They couldn’t get off the planet no matter how far they drove.
I worked until my eyes got heavy like they always do, and then I worked until one a.m., long after the store was supposed to close, and then I clocked out. I went home and threw my television out the window, and then I called you on the phone. I wanted to ask you about that time you were over for my birthday, when everything was blue for lifetimes and lifetimes, and we stayed up until the sunrise. I wanted to ask you if it was real or just a dream I had.
All of the lights were on in my apartment. I had left them on this morning because I was worried I would be in the dark when it happened. I was afraid of the dark. After the dial tone rang about eight times, you picked up and breathed for a minute. I did too. I lay back on my bed too and just breathed into the receiver for as long as you breathed. Then you said, “Did you leave home?”
I said, “No. I want to be home when it happens.”
You said, “Good.” Then we breathed for another minute, and after that minute, you said, “Are you still with what's his name?”
I laughed and said, “No.” You laughed too. I said, “No, I’m not with what's his name anymore. Hey, do you remember my 12th birthday? It was the one where you slept over, and we stayed up way later than we were allowed to?”
You exhaled and said, “God, I don’t remember anything. I can’t remember a god damn thing. You wanna know where I am right now? In my bathtub. I’ve been here since they announced it.” You laughed, “The water’s fucking freezing.”
I inhaled, then exhaled, then inhaled again, then said, “Well, I’ll just let you go.” I took a last breath before I hung up, but you said, “Can you tell me about it? So it feels like I remember?”
“Well,” I said while I tried to breathe without my voice breaking. “You had that stupid buzz cut.” This made you laugh. I looked at the clock and saw that it was getting close to the predicted time. I got the clock down off the wall and smashed it.
I inhaled and said, “We snuck out and bought as much candy as we could from the gas station, and we brought it back to my room,” I exhaled, “and we watched Instagram reels until we couldn’t hold our eyes open anymore,” I inhaled, “and right when we were about to sleep, we kissed for the first time.” I held my breath so that I didn’t cry.
You laughed shakily and said, “What? We never kissed.” But even as you said it, you inhaled hopefully. I said, “I don’t care. I want us to have kissed. So we kissed. You kissed me, and I kissed you back. And then we kissed each other more.”
Only seconds remained now, and you said, “I want that too." Exhale "Yeah." Inhale, "Okay. That can be true.” Then, while you laughed (with joy, I think,) our phone speakers began to melt and boil. I inhaled, then exhaled, then inhaled, then exhaled, then inhaled...
...and, while the world ended, I sent you a text message that said I will love you forever.
The Voice
January 2026
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