a cautionary tale

She knew the saying, Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but he had been out of her life for so long she wasn't sure she believed it. In fact, she was pretty sure she had forgotten about him completely. Except when she stumbled across the New York City subway map shaped like a heart. The one with Queens in the right corner. She had tucked it away somewhere only to be found by accident, like at the back of a big, deep drawer. She'd pull it out even though it would undo her a little. Even though upon the sight of it she'd realize that like Queens, he still occupied a corner of her heart.

It was all right, she supposed, that he was there and she was here. It was just fine that they were separated by miles, thousands of them. But in those rare heart-shaped map moments, she missed the days when the only thing that separated them was what lies between the two seats of his car. The one they used to sing Jingle Bells in at the top of their lungs. The one the same color as a heart.