The Missing Piece

A missing puzzle piece is conspicuous. One speck of table amidst a sea of interlocking cardboard destroys any semblance of completeness. The tiniest gap erupts into a gaping chasm, drawing the eye away from the greater beauty and towards the single imperfection. An omission of just one tile, be it an integral center piece or an unassuming corner, can render a phrase illegible or a map undecipherable. The rest of the parts are less than the sum of their whole, and therefore worthless without the missing brother. Similar to his puzzle, he realized his life was incomplete without her piece.