Kyle was an atheist but his girlfriend, Tina, was pressuring him to find his spirituality. “I’m not saying that you need to embrace and practice a particular religion, but I’d like you to get in touch with your spiritual side.”

“Tina,” Kyle said, “how mant times do we have to have this discussion? I don’t have a spiritual side. I don’t believe that there is a higher being, I’m not searching for deep and profound answers to the purpose or meaning of life. I believe in living life to the fullest because this is the only life there is.”

“But haven’t you ever experienced a moment in your life when you’ve felt connected to something bigger than yourself,” Tina asked.

“When I’m with you, I feel that way,” Kyle said. “I feel that together we are greater than we are when we are apart. You are my higher purpose, you bring meaning to my life. I don’t need God to feel love. Can’t we just be with one another and be happy with that?”

“I love you, Kyle, and I love how you feel that I complete you,” Tina said, “but I think we could have something even deeper, even more meaningful if we could explore and awaken your spiritual self.”

“Tina,” Kyle said, “I am who I am. What you see is what you get. There is no wellspring of spirituality buried deep within me.”

“Kyle, don’t be angry with me, but I’ve made an appointment for us to go see a spiritualist,” Tina said. “Please say you’ll go.”

Kyle sighed. “You want us to sit across from some old woman dressed in flowing silk scarves, sitting in front of some ancient holy book with a crystal ball emitting blue light and with little flickering, fairy lights at the windows?”

Tina took in a breath. “Kyle, my darling, you have second sight. How could you possibly have known that?”

“It’s nothing supernatural, Tina,” Kyle said. “The woman, your so-called “spiritualist” is, I’m ashamed to say, my mother and she is a fraud who will tell you what you want to hear and take you for all you’re worth.”

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Written for Sadje’s What Do You See prompt. Photo credit: Dollar Gill @ Unsplash.