Rainy Morning

The contessa enters office this morning, throws broken umbrella to floor, with violence. Hair very wet and flat, pasted down around head. Palm of right hand bloody. Rip in left knee of wool pants. Ask, What happened in very excited--and, hope, but fear is not, deeply concerned--tone. Says, I Fell. Falling is the Least of what has happened this morning. The Contessa suffering through worst morning ever. The night before, tells Justin that It Isn't Working. He seems to think that she is just scared of committment. She says I'm not scared of committing, I just don't want to commit to you. Say, That sounds so certain--didn't even know there were problems. She says there are Big Problems. Ask (full of curiosity) what? She says that he Chews in a disgusting way and that he doesn't respect her poetry. (See how both could cause trouble.) The Contessa came to her decision to break up with Justin when, several evenings before, at dinner, he said that she would grow out of her poetry like some girls grow out of being lesbians during college. That she would figure out something more relevant to do. Contessa says that she was so shocked by his use of the word 'girls' and Every other word of that sentence, that she had to leave dinner and then not take Justin's calls or emails until she came to her decision to end things. Conversation last night drawn out and painful. There is crying on both sides. Justin apologizes about poetry, says he was being flip, but the Contessa says that she could tell he meant it. Conversation takes up whole night and then breakfast at Bubby's where the Contessa alleges she nearly murdered a two year old. She says, Clearly she doesn't want children right this second, but, maybe sometime she will. What if I don't ever get married? I could end up old and alone and Keep birds. Tell the Contessa that this is highly unoriginal train of thought and that I expect better of her. Say so with the hope that firm teasing will break her out of her funk. Instead, Bites her lip before bursting into tears.