Mary walked into the living room – what little space she had for one – and picked up the phone. She knew it was time for her to reach out to someone for help.

But, to her dismay, the only number she could remember was her ex's cell.

This will be fun, she thought to herself.

RING

RING

RING

“Yes?” Joseph's voice rung out into her earhole and she winced reflexively.

“Look, I don't know how to say this, but I'm just feeling like shit,” she struggled to explain to him. “And you're the only number I can remember. I know this is weird. Do you think you could come pick me up? I need to be anywhere but here.”

There was a brief silence on the other side of the line. She could perfectly imagine the way that he would pinch his brow with his fingers when frustrated. “I don't know how to say this, but I'm trapped in the drive-through.”

“What? Like, long line?”

“No. I'm waiting for Alice to place an order.”

She clutched the phone. A bead of sweat started to form at her temple.

He continued: “They don’t have onion rings anymore.”

“So you’ll be there for a while,” she said. It wasn’t a question.