Anna opened her eyes, startled. They had been closed for exactly three minutes.

She was falling asleep, the spoon still in her hand. She looked down at her noodles, which had slowly sunk to the bottom of a plastic bowl for the past hour. The soup was a cloudy mix of light yellow and Clorox white. She dipped her pinky inside and it was confirmed that it was cold. With a sigh, she threw out the bowl in an overflowing trashcan, a faint growl coming from her stomach. She glanced at the kitchen clock. 6:38PM. She decided to go to bed. Inside the fluorescent-lit bathroom, Anna poured a bucket of water into the toilet and attempted to flush it, but to no avail. Intertwining her hiked black wool dress in her hands, she peed inside the cold bathroom tub, waiting for the running water to warm up, squatting, thinking. It was a very nice dress, probably the nicest thing she owned. It had neon-pink embroidery along the collar line, which the saleswoman at Nordstrom had assured was appropriate. She had bought it on Tuesday, a few hours after her boyfriend Dan committed suicide. Not able to stand being in the hospital or their small apartment, she decided get the black wardrobe phase over with. Unfortunately, with credit card debt and neglected student loans, the choices at a nearby Forever 21 were very limited. She pulled out his funeral card from her dress pocket and read it out loud to herself, despite that she doesnt understand Spanish very well. Youre not even Catholic, she mumbled, placing the card by the sink, his toothy grin smiling at her. Uncomfortable, she placed the card facedown. The funeral had reminded her of one of Dans moms Spanish soap operas that she frequently starred in her native Mexico. Didnt she know that Dan had converted to Hinduism his sophomore year at Berkeley along with everyone else

who studied abroad in India that summer? He didnt want to be buried in a cemeteryor in Mexico! Anna repeatedly told his mother, Lourdes. He wanted his ashes scattered over Stop, stop Lourdes would reply dramatically, the only English words she ever really spoke to her. Wrapped in a towel, Anna threw her luggage off the living room sofa, its contents spilling onto the floor. She picked through the clothes, placing them into two piles. A small basset hound dragged herself from under the sofa, and quietly nestled in one of the piles. No Bella! She picked up the dog and placed her in front of a dog bowl. Eat your food, and then well go out for a walk, okay? Bella stared at the food and back at Anna. She eventually flopped herself to the floor. You dont want to go out for a walk? Anna crouched down to pet the hound, which began whimper. Whats wrong? She picked a resisting Bella up, and kissed her ears. I know, I know. The dog continued to cry. They had only been living together for nearly four months. She always thought they were okay. Not happythat wasnt realistic. They were simply Okay. And that had always been good enough for her. But apparently it hadnt been for him. Anna stood outside the bedroom doorway, hesitating. She had always slept on the right side of the bed; she enjoyed looking at the moon from the window as she drifted off. If I die in my sleep for whatever reason, I would like to have at least looked at something beautiful, she always told Dan. Then why dont you stare at me, he always said jokingly. Except he hadnt joked. For the fifth day in a row, Anna slept on the floor, her bones aching as she sprawled them around. She tried to look out the window, but the moon had gone missing.