Bullet

She didn’t feel the bullet enter her brain. She was in line at grocery store. Her hands were full with food. She should have grabbed a basket. But at this moment, she had been shot. She did not remember her 10^th birthday, the last birthday she had with both parents. She did remember her first kiss, as awkward as it was, behind the elementary school. She did not remember her first boyfriend, who now has a prosthetic leg, but the same alluring eyes as ever. She did not remember her junior prom, who does? She did remember her fiancé. “I love you” “I love you too”. Before he let his mother throw her out of the house. She remembered him as the ex-fiancé now. She did not remember her graduation, she did not remember her mother, her grandparents, her brothers, or their smiles. She remembered the ocean. Washed ashore boats. Run down fishing villages on the East Coast of Canada. She remembered vivid red sand and raspberry cordials. Anne of Green Gables! She did not remember her cat, who often licked her nose and cuddled on her chest and slept next to her every night. Nor did she remember her dogs, who would often keep her company on lonely nights. She remembered her books. So many books. Tales of heroines and sexy men who were destined to be with only her. The soul mate that would never cheat. She did not remember her name. Only that she hated her hair. She was not married. But she remembered a phrase she heard all the time “My bee girls”. This was from her mother, even if she didn’t remember. She remembered singing to many different songs growing up. “I just haven’t met you yet”. She would have sworn she was humming it now, but she wasn’t. She did not remember her condominium, but she remembered the view. City skyline, lake front. 28^th floor. “Where will I go next year?” she often wondered out loud. She had no children of her own, but she had nieces and nephews. She remembered them. “Auntie!” the word repeated in her head, over and over. “Auntie! Auntie! Auntie!”