Four years ago Mark was waiting for the elevator. The doors opened standing there were two neighbors. Gail, a realtor of sorts and her husband. Pleasant and kind neighbors. Nothing more or less. Gail had a strong fashion sense proven by unlimited funds and stores. Donna would say of her, “Anyone can buy fashion. Few can buy style.”
“Mark” Gail said forcefully to demonstrate the importance of what was coming “You know that huge loft you have is valuable. Very valuable. We are talking millions.” Mark tilted his head and looked in silence. “There’re so many couples with children or starting families that would kill for your space and you being widowed without children, soon you may not have the freedom to sell. I’ll help you sell and you’ll come out ahead. The school’s here are perfect and the neighborhood is so focused on what they want. Day care centers, Pre-K, parks with electronically fenced playgrounds, a monitored nanny/au pair networks, we are near the financial district; exclusive children’s apparel stores, peanut free zones, and Whole Foods. So much to offer the new ones.”
“Gail, I’m not sure. I'm here and I really don't want to start over somewhere else. At least everyone in the building knows to look for my remains at some point.” There was a long pause, “Let them drag me from my home.”
“How are you going to meet a woman and bring her into your loft that’s a shrine to Donna?” Gail said.
Mark glared “I’ll think about it.” Knowing full well he was not about to surrender his home or memories like so much dust being swept off a shelve. Fuck her. Mark thought and should not have said “I'm not a commission and neither are Donna’s memories. I'm staying till death do us part and the stench of my decomposing body pisses all of you off.”
Gail and her husband suddenly became not so pleasant.