1.She_left_her_shoes;_she_took_everything_else,_her_toothbrush,_her_clothes,_and_even_that_stupid_little_silver_vase_on_the_table_we_kept_candy_in._Just_dumped_it_out_on_the_table_and_took_the_vase._The_tiny_apartment_we_shared_seemed_different_now,_her_stuff_was_gone,_and_it_wasn’t_much_really,_although_now_the_room_seemed_like_a_jigsaw_puzzle_with_a_few_pieces_missing,_incomplete._The_closet_seemed_empty_too;_most_of_it_was_her_stuff_anyway._But_there_they_were_at_the_bottom,_piled_up_like_they_usually_were_every_single_one_of_them._Why_did_she_leave_her_shoes?_She_couldn’t_have_forgotten_them,_I_knew_too_well_that_she_took_great_pride_in_her_shoe_collection,_but_there_they_still_were,_right_down_to_her_favorite_pair_of_sandals._They_were_black_with_a_design_etched_into_the_wide_band_that_stretched_across_the_top_of_them,_the_soles_scuffed_and_worn;_a_delicate_imprint_of_where_her_toes_rested_was_visible_in_the_soft_fabric.
2.It_seemed_funny_to_me,_she_walked_out_of_my_life_without_her_shoes,_is_that_irony,_or_am_I_thinking_of_something_else?_In_a_way_I_was_glad_they_were_still_here,_she_would_have_to_come_back_for_them,_right?_I_mean_how_could_she_go_on_with_the_rest_of_her_life_without_her_shoes?_But_she’s_not_coming_back,_I_know_she_isn’t,_she_would_rather_walk_barefoot_over_glass_than_have_to_see_me_again._But_Christ_she_left_all_of_her_shoes!_All_of_them,_every_sneaker,_boot_and_sandal,_every_high_heel_and_clog,_every_flipflop._What_do_I_do?_Do_I_leave_them_here,_or_bag_them_up_and_throw_them_in_the_trash?_Do_I_look_at_them_every_morning_when_I_get_dressed_and_wonder_why_she_left_them?_She_knew_it,_she_knows_what’s_she’s_doing._I_can’t_throw_them_out_for_fear_she_may_return_for_them_someday._I_can’t_be_rid_of_myself_of_her_completely_with_all_her_shoes_still_in_my_life,_can’t_dispose_of_them_or_the_person_that_walked_in_them.
3.Her_shoes,_leaving_a_deep_footprint_on_my_heart,_I_can’t_sweep_it_away._All_I_can_do_is_staring_at_them_and_wonder,_stare_at_their_laces_and_straps_their_buttons_and_tread._They_still_connect_me_to_her_though,_in_some_distant_bizarre_way_they_do._I_can_remember_the_good_times_we_had,_what_pair_she_was_wearing_at_that_moment_in_time._They_are_hers_and_no_else’s,_she_wore_down_the_heels,_and_she_scuffed_their_sides,_it’s_her_fragile_footprint_imbedded_on_the_insole._I_sit_on_the_floor_next_to_them_and_wonder_how_many_places_had_she_gone_while_wearing_these_shoes,_how_many_miles_she_walked_in_them,_what_pair_was_she_wearing_when_she_decided_to_leave_me?_I_pick_up_a_high_heel_she_often_wore_and_absently_smell_it._It’s_not_disgusting_I_think._It’s_just_the_last_tangible_link_I_have_to_her._The_last_bit_of_reality_I_have_of_her._She_left_her_shoes;_she_took_everything_else,_except_her_shoes._They_remain_at_the_bottom_of_my_closet,_a_shrine_to_her_memory.