cautionary tale

so i know this guy, really good guy. got his heart broken a few months ago. has to live across the street from his exwife and the guy she left him for. gets to pay her for the privilege, too. the beauty of a no fault state.

he hasn't been doing too well. drinking too much (doesn't want to think). dating too soon (doesn't want to be alone). he's trying to stop all that now though. so today he tells me that he's going to volunteer, once a week, as a math tutor for people who are trying to get their ged's.

i was like hey, that's great. good for you.
he's like yeah, i'm going to try to get my soul back.

it was weird 'cause he's not really one to say things like that.

i said all the right encouraging stuff but what i thought...
they're tricky things, souls.
sometimes they don't want to come back.

and it was just sad because he doesn't know yet that even after you accept that this is how it's gonna be, it gets so much worse before it gets any better.