Are You All Right?

First story challenge entry -- exactly 750 words

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Friday afternoons always drag at work. Probably true for everyone, but especially true for Blake. It was a Friday afternoon when Jamie showed up and announced

"... getting away for a bit."

"How long?" was the obvious response, followed by "Where to?"

"Not too long. Not sure where, somewhere new, but smaller. I just I need a reset; it's too noisy here."

Noisy didn't mean loud, more like busy, or hectic. That made sense; living in the middle of the city, Jamie always seemed a bit crowded and overwhelmed, having grown up in a small town where the nearest place you could call a city was more than 50 miles away. It was the kind of place where you knew everybody, your parents knew their parents, and frequently knew their grandparents.

When Jamie first came to the city, the energy and sense that there were new places to explore, new people to meet, were intoxicating. For quite a while that feeling was captivating.

Blake and Jamie met at a street festival and hit it off, soon planning outings together. Blake had lived in the city for years, knew people and places -- the result of years enjoying the city as a young single professional with disposable income. So Jamie had a 'local guide' and dove right in. Pretty soon there were a couple 'fun' relationships -- not serious, and no hurt feelings when they ended.

Meanwhile, Jamie's work was going well. It was interesting; raises and promotions followed, enough to fund the enjoyable things in life, trips, clubs, shows, along with a more urban wardrobe.

Even so, things never progressed beyond 'new kid having fun in new place'. Jamie didn't develop a wider circle of close friends, always kinda hanging on the periphery. And it felt like something was missing, like Jamie was just a passenger and Blake was always the one driving. Blake pushed it a couple times, trying to get Jamie 'behind the wheel' but it never worked. Jamie would just pull back, retreat into work mode, and Jamie would have to get behind the wheel again.

Things motored along for a couple years, and not much changed. Jamie participated but never led.

Then things changed, not abruptly, but noticeably, for both of them. Blake met someone who was more than just 'fun'. So there was less time for Jamie, who understood, but with no alternative, Jamie retreated into work mode. Then Jamie fell into a relationship that turned out to be no fun at all, and Blake was mostly absent.

After that Jamie was no longer the 'new kid having fun', but rather a 'fish out of water'. Jamie's work suffered -- no longer interesting, no longer as productive. Blake saw it happening but, busy with the new relationship, couldn't or didn't provide much support. Pretty soon it became clear Jamie was struggling, but Blake didn't have the time or energy to help, and sometimes resented the neediness. Still friends, but there was growing distance.

Then came the Friday visit and subsequent disappearance. At first Blake figured the 'reset' would happen -- a few weeks away would be the ticket. But a few weeks turned into a few months, then close to a year, without a word. Gradually, insidiously, guilt crept in, eventually damaging Blake's relationship. Jamie had needed someone, and Blake had turned away -- for good reasons, but still...

And so, from being the start of relaxing, fun-filled, intimate weekends, Friday afternoons morphed into periods of self-recrimination. The inevitable result followed. Blake's relationship withered.

There were no accusations, no angry words. They just stopped.

"I love you" was never spoken, by either of them, even during intimacy. Blake had come close to those words a few times, but never close enough for the sentiment to be true, to make the words real. Close, so close, as if standing on an edge, trying to step forward, but somehow being held back. Trying to grasp a thing within reach, but unable to hold it.

Now Blake's days, especially Fridays, hurt -- missing Jamie. Too late, Blake realized what was missed. Jamie didn't need a friend, a mate, a comrade.

Jamie needed a partner, someone to bring joy and meaning to the chaotic boring terrifying ebb and flow of modern urban life.

Blake felt constant remorse and loss, but had no way to heal the hurt. No way to reach out. No way to say "I'm sorry, so sorry." To say "I miss you."

To say "I love you."

To even say "Are you alright?"

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Are You Alright

Written by Lucinda Williams and performed on her wonderful 2007 disc 'West'

Covered by Amos Lee on his 2023 'Honeysuckle Switches: The Songs of Lucinda Williams' disc

Love this song and enjoy its ambiguity. Is it someone missing a (former?) lover, or missing a close friend? A parent missing a child? Missing a sibling?

Singer is sad and misses the subject, but is also clearly concerned about the their mental or emotional state. But why? What happened?

I tried to maintain and embrace that ambiguity in this story -- not an easy challenge.

Probably failed miserably, but nothing ventured...

At least it's short :)