It was almost more than he could bear, but he forced himself to look at the long, ragged gashes.  Evidence of the raw destruction caused by the blast was evident in the way she lay--broken and torn.

"Gary," Marissa said, "I know this is hard, but time will mend your broken heart, your shattered dreams--"

"NO!" Gary insisted.  "NO, it won't!  Life will never be the same, not without her! You don't understand, Marissa!  I could have prevented this...this tragedy."  His knees buckled and he sank down amid the wreckage, his hands covering his face, but he was unable to stop the tears from cascading down his face.  "We just didn't have enought time."  He drew in a ragged breath.  "Not nearly enough."

"Things happen for a reason," Marissa offered, but there was no response, only faint sniffling and the occassional ragged sob, as if his face was covered.  She tried again: "Maybe it was just time for a change?"

He reached down tentatively with one finger, afraid to touch, but needing to feel the satiny softness one more time.  He choked back a sob as he finger came in contact with one of the jagged rips. The tanned skin of
his beloved was like a kiss under his fingers.  "There is no replacing her. Nothing will ever be the same."

He impatiently brushed aside stray strands of blond hair, seeking only to feel the still-warm surface of his beloved.  "Oh!  The humanity!!" he sobbed.

"Uh...Miss Clark?"

"Not now, Patrick."

"But there's something you should know."

"Patrick!  I'm trying to console Gary."

"I know, but you see--I mean, well, you *don't* see, which is why you should know--"

Gary broke into another round of weeping.

"Oh, dear."  Patrick wasn't sure what to say.

"It's all right, Patrick, I know."  Marissa knelt down beside Gary.  "I promise, Gary, it's going to be all right.  Things will get better.  The new L.L. Bean catalog arrives tomorrow."

He looked up, wiping his nose on his sleeve, a sliver of hope lighting his eyes.  "It...it does?"

Marissa smiled.  "Yes, Gary. And they're having a big sale, too."

"How big?"

"Big enough that...that you could get the kind with *two* interior pockets."

"No kidding?  *Two* interior pockets?"  Gary thought of all the things he could put in those pockets.  How snug they would be.  He was feeling warm just thinking about it.

Drying the last of his tears, Gary stood.  Marissa gave him a reassuring hug while Patrick looked on in amazement.

"Hey, uh, guys?  Where's Erica?"

"Oh, uh..."  Gary looked back at the rubble that had once been the Elizabeth Arden Spa.  "I don't think she'll be coming into work today."

Marissa shook her head.  "No.  It's such a tragedy too.  Now we'll have to advertise for another manager."

Gary nodded, his eyes full of sorrow as he contemplated the woman staring blankly at the sky. "Yeah.  I should have never lent her my favorite jacket."

The End!

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