Brianna squinted her eyes to read the rusted plaque. “I never understood how a town could have a statue this size at the center of its only park and nobody knows what it means.”

“I’m not surprised. Crescent Falls is a town you leave, forget about. There’s nothing here. We don’t even have a Walmart. What town doesn’t have a Walmart?” Craig said.

“Some of us can’t up and leave like you.”

“I’m asking you to come with me.”

“I can’t leave my mother. Her dementia is getting worse. Yesterday she called the police, told them I broke in!”

“There’s nothing you can do for her.”

“I’m not abandoning her in a home.”

“So what? We wait until she dies?”

Brianna raised her hand and slapped him across his face.

Craig lowered his head and rubbed his chin. “OK, I deserved that.”

“Yes.” Brianna returned her gaze to the statue. “I imagine this woman was a warrior for her people. She protected them, loved them. I need to be that for my mother. Even if that means losing you.”

The two stood in front of the statue, arms by their sides. Their knuckles grazed, but neither moved to hold hands.

Word Count: 200

—Nortina

This is part of Sunday Photo Fiction. Write a story using around 200 words based on the provided image.