The final bows have been taken, the stage lights begin to dim, and the curtain comes down. It was just me alone in a quiet and empty room, and now with no need to pretend this mask I can remove.
The mask, my face to the world, hides my true feelings, my real emotions. Alone and without my mask, I can be who I am, if only just for a few fleeting seconds.
A single tear rolls down my face as I envision your smile, and while I know you’re not there, I still reach out for your hand to pull you close to me, to feel your touch, to look into your eyes and tell you that I love you one more time.
If only in my mind.
If only for these fleeting seconds.
I can hear them now, the crowd settling back in, and your hand begins to slip from mine. The stage lights flicker, and my mask is back in place; the curtain rises, the show must go on, and our seconds, well, our seconds were only fleeting, and now they are gone.