おかえりなさい

Despite being a world apart, we were good together. She understood, for example, that things come up while texting sometimes, and she never bristled at my sudden disappearances. Always, when I returned, ただいま, I'd say, and おかえり、she'd reply. Often, with a heart.

But there was never any sex. I don't like phone sex, she'd say, which is fair. But I do.

After years of waiting, nothing still came and so ended it.