He stared across the room as the Ferrari glimmered in the sunshine of the showroom window. A thousand feet of waxed tile lay between them. It wasn’t just the possibility of revving the engine that captured his excitement. She was a classic, a legacy. Style meets performance.
He couldn’t help but walk over to her. That red paint, and the smell of the new leather. She drew him in. What man wouldn’t be intrigued? There was not a scratch on her.
“She’s like a dream, right?” the salesman smiled.
“Do you actually sell any of these?” he asked.
“Not really. She’s just a display, too beautiful to keep locked away in a garage. She captures everyone’s attention—until we talk about her price, that is. The maintenance costs alone are double what I make in a year.”
“Yeah, yeah, I bet. She’s the perfect expensive toy. The American Dream, right?”
The man laughed as he continued to look her over. She was a nice distraction from all the responsibilities of life.
He walked back out to his old, brown work truck. It looked tired, but it was comfortable. He climbed in his faithful companion and continued on with his life. The beautiful, red, Ferrari was beyond what he could afford even if he wanted to.
She stared at him through her glass prison. The man’s dark gentle eyes, kind smile, and deep voice made her melt. Would he ever come back for her?
Why did he choose the old truck over her? She had so much to offer him. The way he looked at her, she knew he wanted her.
She wanted him too. She wanted his eyes to light up as he showed her off. She wanted him to take her home, keep her safe, and protect her from all the prying eyes and hands that wanted to touch her.
She just wanted to belong to him. To be cared for. Maintained.
Instead, she once again found herself alone on the showroom floor. The shiny object in the window that everyone admired, but no one was willing—or able—to keep.
She had no concept of her value. She only felt the cold stillness of the showroom each night as she was left alone. But the morning would come again. The sun would shine on her again. A new possibility would come. She would keep believing, and, one day, she would find her home.
Rachael Kathleen Hartman 