He wakes up, goes to the bathroom and stares through the reflection in the mirror. He remembers meeting his kindergarten teacher and her two boys. They both grew some badass moustaches, they’re so cool he’s actually a bit jealous, although he never liked moustaches in the first place, but it also makes him think about how it might have been twenty years at least since the last time he had seen them. “Man, time flies. I’m happy that they’re fine, all healthy, with families and kids. Being alive is an achievement nowadays.”, he thought while slipping a smile through his beard.

A noise from outside stirs him up and makes him come back to reality. He has been sleeping for a while and he’s got no idea what time it is. Is it tomorrow morning? Yesterday afternoon? He stares at the stranger staring at him from the other side of the mirror. He never was a fan of shaving, and he only did it for practical reasons when it would grow so big it would be annoying when eating. Until that day, when the cute lady from the coffee shop said “almost didn’t recognize you, this beard makes you look so much better!” so he decided to try to grow it longer. And longer.

The days passed, the coffees multiplied, the compliments never ceased to come. And he’d always smile when thinking about that day, when the beard stopped meaning itchy face and started to mean her hands caressing it and making it tidy. Days in the sun where she’d gently scratch her cheek against it, days in the snow where she’d steal his scarf, “because you have a natural one, honey!”.

But today was different. She was gone, forever, and with her were the funny talks, the sleepless nights, her cold hands ruffling his beard, her warm heart. She was gone, forever, and nothing could ever bring her back.

He wished he had a time machine. This way he could go back, change something. Fight less, try more, argue less, walk more. Spend five more minutes with her. Or go back to that day and never step into her coffee place. It should have set the time machine’s destination to five years and twelve minutes ago.

And his beard started to itch.