WHEN HEARTS FOLD

The day Tina lost Thomas was the worst of her life. And yet no one seemed to take it seriously; it was as though the world just moved on without him . . . and when one soulmate is lost, what becomes of the other? He’d gone missing from the laundromat of all places, vanished like a ghost. Tina did not like the place; she never had. It was too noisy, too public; she preferred privacy, peace and quiet. But Thomas hadn’t minded the banging or the bustle, and now, without the only companion she’d ever really connected to, Tina couldn’t make sense of it, any of it.

Of course to understand the weight of that day you’d have to go back . . . because Tina had known Thomas all her life. It was twenty years ago that the humble seamstress who had raised them vanished out of their lives, leaving them bonded together in a way few ever get to experience, almost like twins. But Tina and Thomas were not really siblings, and though she had loved them both with all the meticulous fuss of a grandmother knitting that one-of-a-kind Christmas sweater, the seamstress was not really their mother.

From those early moments Tina and Thomas had been inseparable. Through middle school, high school and into college they walked for miles together, down streets and up hills, along dormitory corridors and across campus courtyards. And then it was the halls of law school, and though they were welcomed with all the trappings of meritorious law students, they never felt deserving of the honors, and preferred snuggling quietly to the requisite discipline of studies. That is unless the studying could be done in bare feet, because then the pressure was off, and they could be close together again. More time with books meant less activity, and that was disheartening, though they never let idleness defeat them. At school they worked as hard as anyone, up all hours for whatever task was required, especially when it involved walking or even running in comfortable shoes, which was their favorite.

At night they curled up together, Thomas holding Tina close, romantic and devoted, hidden and free from expectation until dawning light and course schedules required them. They even laundered together, sneaking into the resident assistant’s basement office where the free machines were kept. There really was no Tina without Thomas, and to think otherwise was nonsense. But law school was not easy, and it seemed some months they slept more than talked. Graduation came and went, and with it new prospects dawned, and more work. Still they continued to complement each other, despite the exhaustion setting in; Tina would describe herself as frayed around the edges, to which Thomas playfully replied that he was wearing holes in his heels, though she knew he was made of sterner stuff, as was she.

At last a professional opportunity presented itself, and they discovered a comfy place in the city, a third floor loft apartment complete with the biggest closet they’d ever seen, where they could relax and listen to the sounds of traffic below, until it was time to suit up and get to work. A year later they’d found their way to a prestigious law firm, with a real professional dress code, and they snuggled into expensive new shoes for the occasion. The walks, especially along the soft natural greenways outside their cramped office, were grand. Legal cases came and went, and they were mostly interesting, some requiring more hustle than others. Tina could feel sweat whenever time was short or the case was going badly, but she was never discouraged; all in all they were a perfect team, and life was good.

That is until the day Thomas went missing. Tina hung around the laundromat as long as she was able, but there was no sign of him . . . and without Thomas to curl up with at night, she couldn’t sleep, not even in the haphazard way they often would after a tough day at the office, when they both needed a wash and lay far apart, for even there at least they were in the same room.

But this time was different; something was really wrong, and the idea of life without him was impossible. Work ground to a halt; Tina couldn’t go, because she couldn’t walk, not without him beside her. She couldn’t even imagine it. And so she neglected the world, as it neglected her. Then the worst news of all: it was time to move. The office was restructuring, everything was changing, and she was going to be packed off somewhere new . . . somewhere without responsibility, somewhere to be forgotten. Old familiar clothes, like old friends, were sorted away for donation, and she found herself talking to every piece, wondering if she’d failed him, if she’d lost her Thomas by her own carelessness, by some simple mistake. But there wasn’t much time left for wondering; the bag was almost full, and it would soon be leaving the apartment. Wherever Thomas was . . . if he still was at all, he was alone. A few more things were added, and pushing down deep into the bag she was struck by a strangely familiar scent, cheap fabric softener from a laundromat she used to hate.

And there was Thomas, right there.

His embrace was all that she needed; she could hardly understand how he’d ever disappeared, but it didn’t matter now. All that mattered was their long separation was over, and they could curl up once more, together.

“Never again,” Tina whispered. “I’ll never lose you again.”

“Never again,” Thomas echoed, as tightly they held each other there in the dark, beneath those old familiar clothes. And for all I know they are holding each other still, perhaps at a consignment shop, waiting to be hired on, to get back to work, to get back to walking. Because everyone knows socks mate for life.

B. Lawson Hull: I am a Nantucket author, specializing in historical and gothic fiction. I have written many short stories as well, and I enjoy modern and whimsical as much as deeply researched historical or science fiction. In college I studied acting, English, and creative writing, with my degree in Medieval and Renaissance European history.