Richard stands at the door of his living room watching a young man move about the room, examining mementos of his life. He has brought this man here for one reason — to lay both him and a ghost to rest. Like the poster hanging on his living room wall, Richard has lived a sepia life for too many years. With his wife gone but not forgotten, his grief is complicated, yet Gloria’s presence lives on guiding him towards a happier future.
Richard believes what little love he had in his life has withered, but before she died, his darling Gloria unlocked her silent throat. Now the time has come for Richard to sing his own song, to face the future, to make the right choice.
This story first appeared the charity anthology, I Do, published by MLR Press. Now re-edited by the author and re-published as an independent read by JMS Books, releases on Wednesday 21st August 2019. This is a short story with a more serious tone and literary feel.
