Romantic Short Story – REKINDLED
Photo credit: gracey from morguefile.com
It was 2.30 in the morning and for the first time in 7 years, he was not home on time. She tried to not think about it and just sleep, but she couldn’t. She tossed and turned the night away.. waiting, thinking, analyzing.
It had been 7 years since they had got married. He was her childhood sweetheart. They were neighbors and they had always been best friends.
Got married in 2007, when they were still best friends.
But today, seven years later into their marriage, best friends? Not so much.
“May its the seven year itch, just a passing phase. Things will get better. “, she consoled herself.
But somewhere in her heart, she had lost all hope. So, she cried herself to sleep that night.
* * *
The next morning she was lucky enough to wake up to her husbands beautiful face.
“How do I love thee, let me count the ways”, she thought, remembering how Keith would recite the poem to her ever so often when they were courting.
She smiled to herself and a tiny water droplet rolled down her eyes, disappearing into nothingness.
She knew things were going to end for them soon. The pain needed to be embraced.
“That’s the thing about pain, it demands to be felt”, she quoted Augustus Waters in her mind, making a silent note of it.
The Fault In Our Stars – Her current book obsession. She yearned for a love like that. How awful it was to live in a world where Augustus didn’t exist.
* * *
With all the thinking, analyzing, quoting and noting, she didn’t realize that her star crossed lover was up.
She looked at him, and he smiled.
That’s how they communicated these days. Smiles.
You may think its beautiful, which it was, but it a sad kind of beautiful. The kind of beautiful that gets you addicted to the sadness.
“There is so much beauty in despair, right?”
Keith would ask her often when he was in his emo-goth phase in college.
She chuckled remembering how funny Keith would look in his long locks, with bangs covering most of his forehead.
Those days, those good old days, she thought to herself.
She thought a lot.
” I’m sorry I got late last night. I got a bit drunk. Slept over at a Karans. I’m sorry. I love you, okay? “
“Okay. ” She smiled, again thinking about The Fault In Our Stars. ” Ah, this is turning into yet another obsession”, she thought to herself.
She definitely did think a lot.
* * *
He came home late again tonight. It had been 2 months, and he had been coming home late every night.
They fought, he yelled, she cried.
* * *
“I’m tired. “, she sighed, wiping away her tears. “Please.”
“Then stop bothering me with your questions. Let me be a free man. “
She cried some more. He had promised her forever, but forever as we know is a long long time, and time had a way of changing things.
* * *
Keith had been looking for Emma all day but to no avail. He called up everyone he thought Emma could go visit. Running helter-skelter in panic, he checked the parks, the cafe where she’d go to write, the church, the whole town.
They lived in a small town.
* * *
Emma had been missing all day. Nobody saw her leave, nobody saw her at all.
Keith was worried. He was scared. Suddenly, the memories of last few months came flooding back.
“What wouldn’t I give to have one more chance, just one more chance.” , he said cursing himself, remorseful for everything he had put her through.
He repented saying the things he said and not saying the things he should have. He repented doing the things he did and not doing the things he should have.
His heart filled with remorse, shame, and sorrow.
“There is no beauty in despair.” He told himself.
* * *
It was 11.30 at night already. No sign of Emma. He lied in his bed, tossing and turning the night away… thinking, waiting, analyzing.
His heart weeped. He sighed.
“Please come back, Em. Please. ” Praying, he slept.
* * *
The sun was out. Emma was in. She was back, lying down next to him.
Her face, like the morning sun. So bright, glowing and full of light. He had missed this face so terribly.
He smiled, as a tear rolled down his cheek. His heart was crying tears of joy. Elated, he pounced on her, hugging her for the first time in what seemed like forever.
“I’m sorry, I got late last night. I love you, okay?”, she said in her sleepy voice.
He smiled.
No questions asked.
“I love you more.”, he whispered, kissing her cheek.
She smiled. He was back. She knew he was.
“No, I love you more. “, She pushed him away, blushing, wondering if it was really happening. It felt like a dream.
“Emma, you know it. I have always loved you more. I’m sorry. I’ll make up for everything. “
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
She smiled.
At that moment, she knew she was on a roller coaster that was only going up. Promise was their Always. Promise was their Okay.
__END__
