The night has begun its decent in the evening sky, and has left the world a spectacular deep purple creased with a bright orange. We’ve spent the day together, going from mall to mall, meal to meal, ferry to ferry. You found welcome memories when you had stepped into my home, a place you had once felt was all but your own…

My mom had hugged you in welcome as if all was still as it once had been, as if everything was still ok. Oma had stuck up a conversation with you as she always had, talking on and on about hockey and football, and a thousand other things whose usual insignificance seemed deathly important today because it might be the last time you ever heard them. All while I had gone to the kitchen to get us some water for the trip ahead.

I had spent an unusually long amount of time getting the water, but you had not noticed, too preoccupied with Oma’s significantly insignificant chatter. Reaching for the water I had frozen, unable to move. My heart hurt, I hurt, and I knew this. I had been overtaken by the realization that this could very well be the last time I ever drove to the ferry with you in the passenger seat beside me, and it pained my soul. I missed you then more even than I had in the many weeks passed, than I had ever before, and while you were so very close, you had never been so very far away. But I pushed on, and took the bottles of water, “Crystal Springs” marked clearly on their wraps. Normally something I would not have noticed, but tonight I had noticed everything. As if the powers that be had decided to give me a sign, those had been the last two bottles of water in the house, everything seemed to be the last.

Coming into the living room, I had stood calmly behind you, waiting for a break in the conversation. Oma had paused to take a sip of tea, and with every word paining me I said it. “Its time to go.” You looked to the clock, it reaffirmed my simple statement. It read 6:30. It had been time to go. You made sure to apologize to Oma, and explain that you had to catch the ferry, for she predictably had not heard when I had told you. You got up, giving her a final hug and had collected your things.

Minutes later we were driving, and half an hour later, we found ourselves under that sunset.

You knew I was hurting, but you couldn’t settle on what your heart called for you to do. The drive had been quiet, not more than a brief comment on the traffic to be said between us the whole way. As we neared the terminal though, the tension, the nervous knots in your stomach had only tightened.

You had tried to distance yourself from me by using your friend, had tried being with him, but when you thought back on it now, it couldn’t help you. As you glanced over at my solemn face, you knew that behind the façade I was crying inside, and it hurt you to know I was hurting that much, hurting because of you. But you again reminded yourself that I ad left you once, I had hurt you, and it helped strengthen your resolve, helped lessen your guilt as it always did.

I felt your stare, and deep down I hope that it was a stare of resignation, one that would lead you back to me, but knew too that it was nothing more than wishful thinking to hope for something that seemed so very far away.

Pulling into the parking lane, the car stopped. I pulled the emergency brake, and though you could see my hesitation, pulled the keys from the ignition. The sound of “Look at your watch now!/Your still a supper hot female!” came to a sudden end. Feeling the too calm awkwardness between us, you pushed the on button for the stereo, and ejected your CD, placing it comfortably back into my old discman. It was seven o’clock, the ferry left in half an hour. You cursed the fact that we had made such good time, but pretended not to notice, opening your door and stepping out. You moved the seat forward and took your backpack form the backseat of my car, pushing the seat backing and closing the door behind you.

I did not get out right away. Wishing things could be different I knew that I had no choice. Opening my door, I too stepped out, we both on opposite sides of the car. You began to walk, but I quickened my pace suddenly, cutting you off before you reached the front of the car.

I had worried it would come to this, worried I would be forced to spill my heart. I had always been jealous, it was in my nature, and that had pushed you even farther way, too far away. But I wanted to tell you that these trials had changed me, that I had learned better, that for the first time in my life I had found something too important for jealousy. But how could I begin. I then realized that there was no way to tell you that, no way to convince you of how I really felt. You’d still think I was just being jealous. I wanted to tell you that you were making a mistake, that if you had needed space from me when you only saw me on weekends, how long would it be before you needed space from him when you saw him everyday at work, everyday afterwards, and you dated him. We proved that having one person as your only true friend, and your love didn’t work, we knew that, but somehow you had forgotten so soon. How could I show you. If you went this path, you’d loose your boyfriend, and you’d loose your friend. You’d loose both of us. You’d be alone.

Deep down you wanted me to tell you I needed you, that I could not live without you, that you were the one for me. But you knew to that if I said those oh so predictable things, you would simply turn away from me. You could not allow yourself to show how good it felt for someone to love you that much, to need you that much. It scared to too much. But I now stood before you, looking deep into your exotic eyes, almost lost in them as I had so often been in times before. You then realized what you’d loose without a word being spoken.

I moved in closer to you. “I can’t loose you. I love you.”

You look away.

“I’ve missed you so much, can you look me in the eye and tell me you haven’t missed me, that you don’t love me.”

You can’t find the courage to answer.

“Love doesn’t just fade away like that.” I say accusingly.

You know you’ve been caught.

It takes all your considerable strength, but you look me in the eye. Your mind, your heart, is spinning in a hundred different directions. Finally you find focus on one thought, the one thing that has been stable in your life for so long now, the one thing that has brought you true happiness, Love. You look back into my eyes, no longer looking through me, but deep inside. You know in your own heart that I will never betray you, that I will always be yours, and even though it scares you more than you could ever imagine anything could, you know it feels right in my arms.

“I love you.” You hear me say again, my voice nearly a whisper.

You find yourself mouthing back the words you never thought you’d say again.” I love you too.”

Stepping closer, I push passed all my worries, all my fears, and kiss you softly. I’m surprised when you kiss me back, kiss me harder. As we pull away, you see the soft face, one you haven’t seen in so long, the one I used to have after we kissed in what was nearly years ago, and you know you made the right choice. Pulling me in, you hug me close, needing the sturdy support. For the first time in so long, things actually feel right together, things feel right in your life. You know that now, things can get better.

Author's Note: Cazzaa, this style was inspired by you, but the story, the hope, the dream, comes from my heart.