She slipped another grape into her mouth, filling her cheeks with chipmunk like zeal and swallowed the sinfully sweet fruit. Laura tried to fill the emptiness with food however, it was bottomless. The ache in her heart didn’t fill, but for these brief moments she was able to forget the hole was there, and that would have to be enough for her. It was all she would get.

One bunch of grapes down. She munched through her self-pity and loneliness. Guilt free binging because at least it was healthy food. There were worse vices than grapes and tea right?

She didn’t have a problem.

She had replaced all the candy, potato chips, and alcohol in her apartment with grapes, dry popcorn, and chamomile tea. On one shopping trip she tried to explain by telling the cashier she was making grape jam. She didn’t even bother coming up with a lie for the value sized bags of popcorn and tea.

Licking each finger, she savored the last moments. Trying to draw them out as long as possible and keep reality at bay.