Poignant, beautiful and sad. This resonates on a personal level but also because I recently read Chekov’s “Lady with the Pet Dog” and Oates’ response to it and your story echoes theirs in my head somehow.

Conflicting concepts. While immediately it sounds like he has a disconnect from reality, on repeated reads it seems to me that his concept of “not leaving” is to stay her friend, her’s is to be bound together.

“That word forbid me… …again” It’s the change from being loved to merely being associated that kills.

I like this, although it hits a bit close to home for me. There are a few punctuation issues but they do not detract from what I feel you were trying convey.

I like this, although it hits a bit close to home for me. There are a few punctuation issues but they do not detract from what I feel you were trying convey.