Betrayal

She hesitated for the briefest of moments

An imperceptible beat. 
The sweep of a clock hand marking a second. 
The folding of a butterfly’s wings. 
The delayed first clap of applause at the end of a recital. 
The reluctant closing of a child’s eyes, surrendering to sleep.

The silence hung in the air between them as if frozen
Solid, tangible, impassable. 
She wanted to reach across it for his hand
or touch his cheek, or stroke his hair 
But the emptiness was too dense. 
An impassable barrier

He made the faintest movement with his head. 
His expression didn’t change. 
And yet something of him vanished from his face. 
But his features remained as immobile as mask. 
She could read nothing. 
His eyes were dead. 
Empty.

She was filled with longing for him. 
To be held as if she would never be released. 
To be hugged until everything was better.

It was the longing one has for something forever lost.

She could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks. 
Leaving sad, wet, first tracks for many more to follow.

She wanted to plead, to beg
to fall upon her knees and beseech him. 
Yet the awful finality of the moment paralysed her 
and made her mute.

He had known
from her pause
from that briefest of uncertainties
 what she had done.

He would never forgive her.

Without a word
he turned on his heel
and walked away.

He did not look back.