I still remember the first time we met. There was something so different about you. You were presented to me as a beautifully packaged gift full of humor, talent, intelligence, beauty and love. Years later and I walk along this busy street alone. I saw you walking down the street for a second we were eye to eye. There was a flicker or familiarity as we passed each other. There was a time I knew you well but, that was a long time ago. Walking alone in this crowd you probably didn't notice me.

"Tina"

I hear someone say my name. You tapped me on the shoulder.

"Bette"

It happened so fast we crossed each other's paths. We find ourselves in a tight knot. She can stand there and smile and I can stand here and try to look cool. I know her emotions and she knows inside my feelings rage.

"Let's talk." she says sit down it's just a talk.

I knew it from the start you're smiling that smile you get when you're nervous like you don't know what to say.

How's life?" I say

Your guard is up and I know why. She shook her head with all the thoughts in her head.

She reached for my hand. "I don't want to lose you." Her voice was almost in a whisper. She could feel the tears again, and she fought them back."But you don't want to keep me either, do you?"

The last time you saw me is still burned in the back of your mind.

"I haven't been this scared in a long time. I'm so unprepared so this is for you a bouquet of clumsy words a simple melody this world is an ugly place but you're still so beautiful to me. The truth is being with you was the only time I have been happy."

My voice was shaky and choked up, but I didn't care. My words made the point. "You're the one who made yourself detached. I'm not afraid to love and I'm not afraid to put all I have into something." I spat

"I'm sorry. I know you must hate me."

"I don't hate you and have never hated you I was angry and confused but hate was never part of it." I could feel the tears again, and I fought them back.

We know each other's names or thought we did. We know each other's faces from an album of places. Left alone in the past forgotten memories never meant to last. She was the one who walked away from me. I made it so easy for you. But what hurts is you didn't fight for me.

I hate it when your voice is shaky when you're about to cry.

"Promise me. That's all I want. Just promise me, that you will never forget me. Tell me I changed you somehow. Let me know that I had an impact on your life. Promise me that you'll always remember me. Losing you was hard enough, but I don't want to go on knowing I meant absolutely nothing to you." She says

As the cold wind of winter touches my face the wind carries her whisper gently on the breeze.

"I still love you."

Three words and eight letters. Three syllable, five vowels. Three consonants, two nouns. One emotion many meanings. A big lie and a rare truth.

"I don't love you anymore."

She stopped walking long enough to turn around. She took a deep breath and blew out the pain. Our eyes met and it makes me smile because deep down I know you haven't forgotten.

"Bullshit Tina."

The fear is an anchor, time is a stranger. Love isn't borrowed, we aren't promised tomorrow. We'll never be ready if we keep waiting. For the perfect time to come. Won't be steady, we'll never be ready.