You built mansions in my mind to archive our memories. Every room had a faint smell of yesterday. The corridors measured our time together; they seemed to have gone on and on and on.
I’d find the mansion in my dreams. It was on the ocean. At night, I’d lead you in by light and watch you approach shore. Sometimes we’d sit on the dock together and mimic the sea current beneath the stars.
We never hosted parties there but being with you was my favorite reception. You served me like a guest but, I never needed to pick my poison. You understood my taste since my greatest high came from you.
I manifested the mansion every night. As the years went on, the site grew bigger, the ocean orchestrated music for our memories and the corridors stretched on and on.
After awhile, you stopped coming to the mansion. I invited you as my guest, had your favorite meal and drink prepared but you never showed. I tried to make the mansion more appealing to you. I rearranged furniture, swapped out light fixtures and planted perennials and still, you stopped coming by.
The mansion kept growing and so did the stack of dirty dishes, laundry pile and list of chores that were out of my reach. I used all of my energy inviting you back to the mansion that once I was there all I had left in me was to open another bottle hoping that it’d be the night, I’d fill your cup too.
You returned a handful of times just to drop things off and track in more grime. You paid no mind to the messy kitchen or broken fence. I couldn’t remember the last time we stargazed.
One night you promised to return. You gave me one last farewell kiss before stepping onto your boat. I refused to walk back into the mansion. Every room stunk of old memories and we were past due on making new ones. The corridors had reached a dead end. The furniture was stained with liquor you stopped pouring for me.
As you crossed the ocean, another beam of light lead you to the other side.
The mansion caved into itself like a house of cards. The grass sprouted high like corn stalks, creating a maze to our rubbled memories. I left the dock and ran past our estate before the ocean could pull me in.
I awoke in a panic, trying to catch my breath.
I awoke in denial you’ve been hosting parties elsewhere.
But when I did not wake up to you sleeping next to me, I knew it was time to build my own mansion.