One-Shot: Garden State Ending Kiss

Struggling actor Andrew Largeman left Sam behind on the airport stairs, giving her one last glance as he rode the escalator up. As soon as he disappeared from view, Sam burst into tears.

She was still crying hours later, in a phone booth not far from the airport. So, she was startled when the door to the booth was suddenly wrenched open. Sniffling, she turned to see that it was Andrew.

"What are you doing here?" she sniffled.

Andrew did not appear to acknowledge the seeming impossibility of his presence as he pulled her from the booth.

"Look, you remember that idea I had? About working stuff out on my own and then finding it once I figured stuff out?"

"The ellipsis?" Sam croaked, remembering.

"Yeah, the ellipsis. It's dumb. Dumb. It's an awful idea. And I'm not gonna do it, OK? Cause like you said, this is it. This is life. And I'm in love with you, Samantha."

Sam smiled her tears for only the briefest instant as she looked at him.

"I think that's the only thing I've really been sure of in my entire life," Andrew laughed at himself. "And I'm really messed up right now, and I've got a whole lot of stuff I've gotta work out, but...I don't wanna waste any more of my life without you in it. OK? And I think I can do this! I want to! We have to. Right?"

"Yeah!"

"Right?"

"Yes!" Sam laughed, sounding happy for the very first time.

A pause and then: "So what do we do?" Then again, more softly: "What do we do?"

In answer to Andrew, Sam bit her lip before leaning in just as he captured her lips with his. Instantly, her one hand snaked into his black hair, playing there, as she felt Andrew's arms slip about her waist. They stayed like that, in an empty baggage claim, like there was no one else in the world.