Author’s Note: This is a journal exercise that we did in Creative Writing class. The prompt was “I’m sorry to inform you, but you have three minutes to live. You may make one phone call to one person. Who are you going to call, and what are you going to say? Write this in dialogue form, please.”

I picked up the phone and hastily dialed ###-###-####.

“Hello?”

“May I speak with Joe please, Anna?” I asked in a hurry.

“Just a sec…”

“… This is Joe.” He said blandly.

“Joe! Please, don’t speak, I haven’t got time to tell you-“

“Sara, are you okay?” His voice sounded worried, but nonchalant.

“NO! I’m going to die in two freaking minutes, now let me-” angrily I spat.

“Why are you telling me this-” Joe sounded agitated.

“Joe! I’m going-”

“No! You can’t leave me, I’m coming over- Don’t move!”

I could hear him grabbing his coat and keys, “NO! NO! There’s not that much time!”

“No, god, first Andrew and now you…” His voice was full of disappointment, and mourning.

“Listen to me damn it!” I said, choking up. I could almost feel death coming to me.

“… Okay.”

“I’m sorry, but this is out of my hands.”

“Please, Sara-”

“Joe, let me finish.” I begged.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’ve got less than a minute, but I want you to know that I really did love you. I thought we were going to be together forever. The ring, the kids, the 50th anniversary. I thought it was going to happen for us. Please, don’t forget me, and how you felt about me. Don’t forget our first date, the first time you laid eyes on me, King Kong… Or all our inside jokes…” Tears fell from my eyes as I started my mini speech. I knew it would be long after, so I tried to cram every special moment that I could think of into my last breaths.

“Sara!”

I couldn’t stand the thought of him not know, “- Please- Your Valentines are in my bible, in the bookcase…”

“Sara!”

“Promise, Promise you won’t-” My voice faltered.

“I promise! I promise!”

I coughed for a moment, and clutched my chest, “I, I… Love…”

“SARA!” He cried.

“… you…”

“Sara!”

“…”

“Sara…? No… Please…”

“…”

“But… I love you, too…” He said into the dead line, knowing I hadn’t heard him. All he could think was that he was too late and it was his entire fault. He didn’t know that I had just spoken the three words I swore I’d never say. He didn’t know that I didn’t do this to myself. He didn’t know the ache in my heart when I spoke to him the last time. It killed him; all this not knowing. He wept silently into the dead receiver. His knuckles still white as he cradled the phone. Joe wiped the tears from his eyes and crumpled on the leather couch. He bit his bottom lip and closed his eyes, falling into memories.