I've kept a borrowed jacket because I miss the friend who lent it
ConfessionsThe blue jacket has been on my coat hook for eighteen months. It isn't mine.
My friend lent it to me when a warm evening turned cold. We drifted after she moved across town. There's been no argument, just unanswered suggestions and shorter messages. Returning the jacket would be an obvious reason to see her, yet I keep postponing it because the coat hook feels like evidence we still have unfinished business.
She asked about it once last year, and I said I'd bring it next time. There hasn't been a next time. I haven't worn it since.
I know I should return it. Do I also admit why I've held on, or would that make a simple handover feel like a demand to revive the friendship? I'm worried I'll arrive with a jacket and expect her to understand I'm really asking for our old Sundays back.
