I hadn’t seen Cecilia in years. We made a habit of contacting one another whenever we were single and looking for a relationship, but the timing was never right. Either one of us was in a relationship, she was out of the state, or some other external force would keep us apart. The last time I spoke to her was several years ago, shortly after my breakup with Libby.

She called me to let me know that she had quit college and joined the armed forces. Having just broken up with Libby and needing someone else if only to make Libby go away, I was sad to hear from her and then hear that she was going to be leaving. Had it not been for the army, it would have been as good a time as any to give it a try. But this time she wasn’t just leaving Delosa, she was essentially putting herself on a list to leave the United States. She was in Colosse for a couple days from which she would take a bus to wherever it was that she was going.

Though the timing was good, the timing was also really bad. She called me from a friend’s house in Ocania and on a voicemail gave me her cell phone number. I called her back, but the cell phone was off. I left a voicemail with all of my phone numbers and some directions to my house. Unfortunately, my apartment was somewhat hard to find so I said that she should call me beforehand so that I could walk her through it.

The last night before she was to leave was a Wednesday night. I remember it because Libby was over at my house. That’s what made the timing so bad. If Libby and I had still been together, ironically, it would have been easier blowing Libby off. She was so worried about losing me she constantly prevented herself from getting mad and impetuous. But after we broke up, she no longer had any real reason to behave herself.

Cecilia had called while I was at work. It being Wednesday, Libby had made herself at home at my apartment. She either answered the phone or Cecilia had left a message which she had erased. The only way I knew that Cecilia had called was that Libby was quizzing me on who the hell Cecilia was. When I realized that she had called I got my cell phone out. There was a message waiting for me there, too, from Cecilia’s distinctive Vandalia area code.

Ignoring Libby for the time being, I started to call Cecilia back. Libby snatched the phone from my hand and demanded that I tend to her instead of this Cecilia girl. When I explained who Cecilia was and why it was so important that I talk to her, she was unmoved. “I only ask one night a week from you and that’s tonight. She’ll have to call you from her army fort,” or something to that effect.

The phone rang a couple more times and in a fit of anger Libby tossed it, and the only place that I had Cecilia’s phone number handy, out of the window. The phone was easily repairable (and insured), but by the time I got it fixed, Cecilia was gone.

In the greater scheme of things the whole thing cost me a $25 phone insurance deductible and the chance to say goodbye to someone I hadn’t actually seen in a few years. I would have been more upset if it had been our only real chance at a relationship, but it really wasn’t. I haven’t heard from her since, though I did some investigation a couple years back and found out that she now lives in… Estacado, not far from here.