The Fear of Someone Special

Listening to the fractured words of passing conversations calms me as I sit in the quiet room
Those in the room with me dare not speak, move, or even breathe
Our fears are one and the same, but they hide behind different masks
The man in the corner fears his father, a hard-edged Christian, born and raised
The child on the floor fears her mother, and the loving embrace she wraps her child in
The woman by the door fears her sister, a young woman and a hugger by nature
The couple at the table fear each other, and all their shared memories
I fear my best friend, and the time we pass together
We all share a fear, no matter how different they may seem
We all fear the loss of someone
Someone important to us
Someone special