In a respite of humming light I looked down. The way my urine floated around my feet in the shower should have been the first sign. The fluorescent bulb in the bathroom, the one that hadn't yet burnt out, ticked, flickered, and dropped darkness on me every few seconds.

The shower was backed up again, and though I really could've guessed it, I stood there for a minute to let it soak in -- three inches of standing water and a continual beating stream too far down on the divot in my chest. The fact that it was early morning and I was working was my only defense.

I thought of Myron and his letter when the light flickered dark again. That letter of his, God, if it wasn't for that I'd wonder sometimes if it was worth the trip in. And that Alexa Ovet, even her handwriting was sexy. I thought of the way that "p" looped in cursive, the jarring way she crossed her "t"s and "x"s, the way her "f"s flowed just so. I nearly got an erection right there. I still had no idea what she looked like, but I knew, I just knew.

The light came back and the water was still slowly rising, but the yellow had not quite dissipated. "Fudge this," I thought as I got out from under the water and tapped the bulb to a steady output. I knelt by the drain and stuck a finger in only to pull out strands of long, gunked-up hair. The dyed red hair. It meant Elissa, my Elissa With a Y, was back.

After pulling out more clumps I got back in the shower. "She must be on the couch," I thought. "She must have known I had work and didn't want to wake me." I wasn't sure what I'd say to her, or if I'd have to cook her breakfast. With all the delays it was getting late already. I sighed, which was becoming a habit. Eggshell in my omelet: sigh. Standing next to the gray lady on the subway: another sigh. Mark playing rap music from his office: an extended sigh. I even sighed as I noticed the water still wouldn't go down.

The possibility of trench foot struck me. I imagined my feet ballooning and curling like a Shar Pei's skin -- those dogs Elissa was always cooing over. I smiled as I imagined two of those dogs underwater, but then felt incredibly guilty, a feeling cemented by knowing the health plan wouldn't cover trench foot. I kicked the water around, watching the soapy film reform. Sigh. Work still awaited.

As I got out of the shower for the second time, I realized that having Elissa back meant that Myron would have his Mara as well. On Friday they had taken a "girl's night out," called around midnight and said they were going to take a long weekend together.

I hoped Myron would still be coming in to work today. I wanted another look at the letter.