“I need to be talked off the proverbial cliff.”

My heart sunk to my feet. The job itself would do that to you, answering helpline calls all day, but this was different. I knew that voice, but it couldn’t be …

“What’s wrong, sir?” I brought myself to say, mouth going dry already.

“I just don’t see a purpose in things anymore. I’m losing interest. What do you recommend?”

“Well, what things used to bring you interest?” I said without thinking, reading the script embedded in my mind. The training had been intensive, and even though it was long ago now, I remembered how to approach each call. Most of the time.

“Walking. Talking with friends. Only, I don’t have any right now. I just moved back to this city.”

My heart had told me right. This was him. We used to walk, and we used to talk. He had moved, and now he had moved back. And now he was making this phone call, and I knew it was him, but he didn’t seem to know it was me.

“What do you like about this city?” I asked to keep the conversation going.

“Lots of things, actually. But I find there’s a memory tied to each one and that makes it hard for me to go there. LIke The Point, for example. Great food. Excellent service. But too many memories of those old days, long gone, that make it unbearable to even drive by.”

I gulped. The Point had been our first date. Our favorite hangout spot. Was he thinking of me when he spoke of those unbearable memories? Or others he had taken there? I had to remain focused.

“That’s understandable. What’s your favorite dish there?”

He named a dish we often shared.

“What if you order that for yourself for dinner tonight? Just to be delivered. Enjoy it on your own time and think of those old days.”

“Hmm,” he said from across the line. I heard him fumbling with something that sounded like paper. “That might not be a bad idea.” He paused, and then said, “You know, you remind me of someone.”

The comment took me aback. “Good or bad?” Was the first thing I said, without thinking.

“Someone good, I think, but bad for me. Bad for eachother. But still, you know how you can miss people like that?”

“I do, Cory,” I said without thinking. As I audibly gasped at my carelessness, I heard the phone disconnect. The line was already ringing again with a new call. I took a deep breath and continued my day, letting memories of those old days fade into the back of my mind.