Love in a Nanosecond

A Microfiction

I ventured outside my comfort zone and took a stab at fiction in this piece. You can find it featured in below the STSC Omnibus, a weekly collaboration between STSC writers.

The STSC Omnibus #28

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It was a typical day for Mr. Snowbody. He was off for his weekly errands while his wife was at brunch with the local women’s group. This was good; it gave him space to think - a luxury when considering his working relationship with the Busybody clan.

Most of his weekly thinking sessions revolved around trancelike daydreams of the Aristofat family. Being a Snowbody, opportunities to appreciate the finer things in life were scarce. These luxuries only became tangible within his fantasies of life as an Aristofat.

Mr. Snowbody was lost in one of his daydreams when he was confronted by destiny incarnate: his lover from a past life. Of course he was unaware of this magnificence as he was preoccupied with dreams of wealth, servitude, and the plight of improperly cooked eggs. Snowbody moved forward in the queue with a placid smile playing on his lips. His relationship with this unassuming store clerk only became apparent once they locked eyes.

Two windows to two tethered souls illuminated an impossible view. In that moment, memories of the future flooded his mind. Destiny unraveled as time stood still. The universe or maybe God Himself brought these two souls together yet again for His Cosmic Plan. At long last, their souls were reunited for another adventure in eternity. Could it be that Mr. Snowbody discovered love in a nanosecond?

“That’ll be $8.38,” she said with a playful smile. Recovering from his past life, all he could do was fumble with his payment, utter a meek “Have a nice day,” and carry on with his errands. Perhaps her playful smile signaled an acknowledgement of a shared experience, a message in code from a long lost lover. Or maybe he imagined her playfulness altogether, and it was a simple case of retail hospitality from a stranger simply doing her job. I guess we’ll never know.

In spite of his paradigm shifting experience, Mr. Snowbody returned home to his adoring wife, as was expected of him. At the end of the night, he professed his love to his wife like any good husband would and without another word, he placed the most profound piece of his day to rest.

Although never joining the ranks of the Aristofats, he went on to provide the best life he could for his most appreciative wife, much better than anyone would expect from a Snowbody. Witnessing behavior so uncharacteristic of a Snowbody, one must wonder whether Mr. Snowbody’s momentary love affair brought him closer to his love of this lifetime. Perhaps this was His Cosmic Plan all along.