Sometimes, you have to say goodbye a thousand times over.
It feels like the apartment is alive with the remnants of her in every corner. The mug she left behind rattles. Her toothbrush buzzes. The battered cassette whirs. You can’t remember what was even on the tape. “Our song” is written on it. Should the tape be yours or hers? How do you decide? You hesitate over whether the tape should be tossed in her box, simply labeled Emily.
When you close your eyes, you dream of her.
When the lights are off, you see her. Not her exactly, but the past version of her. Is that even accurate? Perhaps it’s simply a version of her you’ve created in your head. You see her everywhere - the kitchen, the bedroom, and the balcony. Who knew such a tiny apartment could contain so many ghosts of her. You decide what you say to her. You rehearse these conversations even though you know the ending.
Are you afraid to find closure?
As Walter, you will reluctantly pack away all the objects from a past relationship. Heartbreak exists in every crevice and in the seemingly most ordinary items. Can all the ghosts and the heavy weight of the past fit in a cardboard box? It seems impossible, and yet, you will try anyway. Wrestle with Walter’s mental health, listen to the whispers of old memories, and find some closure.
