Laura looked out of the window

Wishing Dave would come back

Hoping to see his smiling face again

She checked her phone for the umpteenth time

No calls or texts from him

She looked back to count her texts to Dave

He had not answered her last three

She started to write another

Begging him to come back

Her finger hesitated over the send button

With tears dripping onto the screen

She deleted the text

Then deleted everything from him

Including every photograph of him

All their FaceBook posts were wiped out

She deleted all their joint social media Apps

He was being digitally expunged

She felt no regrets because it was time to move on

Suddenly her phone rang

It was Dave calling but she did not want to answer

She let it ring out to voicemail but he called again

She picked up the phone and smashed it on the floor

The screen shattered but it kept ringing

She was desperate to silence the noisy virtual ghost

It went in the washing machine

On a long hot heavy soil cycle 

She could hear it still ringing with the door closed

As the water hit the phone it finally went silent

She sat on the floor watching the full machine cycle

The phone clattered as the drum tumbled

She fished it out after the spin cycle stopped

Her phone was destroyed beyond repair

Just like her relationship with Dave

Then the doorbell rang

Dave was at the door