Stalactites and Stalagmites – David Cook

‘Stalactites cling tight to the ceiling,’ the guide says in hushed tones as you reach for my hand, ‘while stalagmites might one day reach from the ground to join them.’ Our fingers feel like two mismatched jigsaw pieces forced together to create the illusion of a whole. I let go. I fiddle with my new wedding ring and consider accidentally losing it in the darkness. ‘It could take hundreds of thousands of years for the two to connect,’ the guide continues, and I think about how much longer than that it’ll take for you and I to do the same.

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