Rich Youmans

The Answer

By then, the only calls Robin received were requests to extend her auto insurance (even though she hadn’t driven in years) or to Press 1 to claim a credit rebate. She answered every one in the same way: Hi! How are you? Her voice full of sunlight and cheer, as if it were a friend she hadn’t seen for a while, or maybe her daughter checking up on her again, as if that night of rain-slicked leaves had never happened.

Robin always kept her cell phone with her, even during afternoon bingo or when watching a classic movie in the residents’ lounge. The staff would exchange looks as the phone started chirping and Robin answered with that same, familiar greeting. Usually, on the other end there would be a pause, followed by a bright, pre-recorded voice with another limited-time offer. But sometimes there was a small gasp—something human—and a silence that extended for a heartbeat or two. As if the caller were actually thinking about it. As if the next words could be anything.

spring thaw among snow banks a glint of gold

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About the Author

Rich Youmans lives on Cape Cod with his wife, Alice. His books include All the Windows Lit (Snapshot Press, 2017) and Head-On (Red Bird Chapbooks, 2018). He is also the co-author, with Roberta Beary and Lew Watts, of Haibun: A Writer’s Guide (Ad Hoc Fiction, 2023).

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