February 2020 Writing Prompts

Day the Seventh: Flannel

"She's gone, you know," Dan told me for the millionth time.

"I know..."

"You should give that away, to Goodwill or something, just, get rid of it, Garrett," His suggestion pierced the daze of my thoughts.

"Never." I declared emphatically. I'd never give it away. It's all I have left of her. Dan wouldn't understand, he had never been left before. I pulled on the maroon flannel jacket, faded from the days in the sun before I found it. "I'm keeping it, even though she's gone. I'm not grieving anymore, but I still want to remember her."

"Then at least take it off. Stop wearing it; just leave it in your closet, or on your nightstand."

"Are you kidding? It's freezing outside, I need a jacket."

"You have four other coats!" He threw his arms up over his head.

"This one is the warmest," was my quick-witted reply.

"How? It's the thinnest!" Dan was running out of patience with my resolution. He had been trying to convince me to relinquish the relic for two weeks.

I suppose I should tell you what happened, before you side with Dan. A year ago I met a girl; we exchanged numbers and started hanging out. We started dating a few months later, and we were happy and in love. I thought we were happy and in love. But, two months ago she vanished. She was just gone, didn't leave me a note or a text or anything. I searched for days, until one day when I found something. Her flannel jacket, high in a tree branch. She wore that thing everywhere she went, it was her favorite jacket. She left it, just like she left me. I figured me and it should stick together after that. She's gone, and all we have is each other.

" Garrett... I didn't know.. if you had told me... I never would have.. I'm sorry man." Dan pulled me into a hug.

"Wait, did I say all that out loud?!"