Why We Said Goodbye (Sequel to If You See Him, If You See Her)
Shawn hadn't been able to sleep since Paul had seen Sara. "Did she look
happy?" Shawn asked his friend for the millionth time.
Paul considered the question carefully and then answered. "On the outside she did, I don't know about the inside. Why?"
"I don't know man." Shawn said, running his hand through his long blond hair. "I miss her."
"You have some time off, why don't you go see her?" Paul answered.
"I-I couldn't." Shawn stammered.
"Either be a man, go see her and admit how you really feel, or go on with your life and leave it alone." Paul said rising from where he was sitting in Shawn's hotel room. "If you ask me, you both are living in memories and you're both too stubborn to do anything about it."
Shawn watched his best friend go and then moved over to the photo album he took everywhere with him. It contained pictures of her and them together. He opened the album and began to remember things.
I remember Sunday mornings walking on the beach. And that place we'd stop for breakfast with the old red vinyl seats. The hours of the tide chart. The way the sunlight dance upon your face. That antique roller coaster you just had to ride. I remember how you laughed at the terror in my eyes. The color and the detail. Just like it was yesterday.
Shawn had to stop for a moment when he reached the picture his mother took of them outside the funeral home. He remembered the feel of her black dress as he held her close. He remembered the soft words she whispered to him that night in bed when he finally broke down and cried.
And I remember how you held me the night my father died. I didn't have to tell you. I just broke down and cried.
Shawn struggled to remember why they were apart. "Being with you was as natural as breathing." He whispered, gently running his fingers over a picture of her backstage at a pay per view.
You're sewn into the fabric, the pieces of my life. And I just can't remember why we said goodbye.
In his mind the last fight they had replayed in his mind.
Sara was packing her bag when he came into their hotel room. "Where are you going Sara?"
"I'm going back to school." She answered. "I'm going to get my law degree and do what I should have done, instead of ."
"Instead of what, wasting your life with me?" Shawn asked, moving forward to grab her arm.
"Ask me to stay Shawn. Ask me to marry you. Tell me that you love me and I'll stay. I'll put my dreams aside for as long as you want me to, just give me that." Sara said, turning to face him.
Shawn stopped and just looked at her. "I can't marry you Sara, you know that."
"You can't or you won't?" Sara asked, slamming her suitcase shut.
"What does it matter?" Shawn asked, desperately trying to grab her.
"It matters to me Shawn. You'll sleep in my bed every night but you won't commit to me or marry me. You claim that you love me but I don't feel it. I can't live like this anymore. That's why I'm leaving Shawn." Sara said, picking up the suitcase and heading for the door.
"I love you Sara. Doesn't that mean anything?" Shawn asked.
"I love you too, Shawn. But it's not enough, for either of us. Goodbye Shawn." Those were the last words she said before walking out the door.
Up and down this boardwalk lonely people sit. I know it wasn't perfect but nothin' ever is. The sails out in the harbor. Are searching for the wind.
Shawn reached into Paul's bag and pulled out the slip of paper with Sara's number on it. He dialed the number with shaking fingers and waited.
I just had to call you; I had to hear your voice. And tell you I still love you we still have a choice. You're sewn into the fabric, the pieces of my life. And I just can't remember why we said goodbye.
"Hello?" Sara answered after the second ring.
"Sara ." Shawn breathed her name, not believing that he was talking to her.
"Shawn." Sara answered.
"Paul told me that he talked to you and I had to call." Shawn said. "Came I come and see you?"
Sara hesitated for a moment. "Sure, do you remember the address?"
"Yes. I'll be right there."
Everything I do. Leads back to you. I know I just can't let us go.
Ten minutes later, Shawn was knocking on the door to Sara's modest ranch house. "Hi." She said nervously as she opened the door.
"Hi." Shawn answered. "I love you Sara, I never stopped. If I could go back ."
"Shawn, don't." Sara said softly.
"No please let me finish." Shawn answered. "I would have asked you to marry me but I was so worried about my career . I'm sorry. I was a fool. Forgive me?"
"I forgive you Shawn." Sara said softly. "I do."
Shawn pulled her into his arms and looked down at her. "Do you still love me?"
"I never stopped." Sara answered. Shawn lowered his head and captured her lips in a light kiss. "Take me to bed, Shawn . please."
"We need to talk, first."
"We'll talk after." Sara replied, kissing him.
There must have been a reason, but I can't remember now. I know if I could hold you we could work it out. You're sewn into the fabric the pieces of my life. And girl let's give it one more try. Cause I just can't remember why we said goodbye.
Paul considered the question carefully and then answered. "On the outside she did, I don't know about the inside. Why?"
"I don't know man." Shawn said, running his hand through his long blond hair. "I miss her."
"You have some time off, why don't you go see her?" Paul answered.
"I-I couldn't." Shawn stammered.
"Either be a man, go see her and admit how you really feel, or go on with your life and leave it alone." Paul said rising from where he was sitting in Shawn's hotel room. "If you ask me, you both are living in memories and you're both too stubborn to do anything about it."
Shawn watched his best friend go and then moved over to the photo album he took everywhere with him. It contained pictures of her and them together. He opened the album and began to remember things.
I remember Sunday mornings walking on the beach. And that place we'd stop for breakfast with the old red vinyl seats. The hours of the tide chart. The way the sunlight dance upon your face. That antique roller coaster you just had to ride. I remember how you laughed at the terror in my eyes. The color and the detail. Just like it was yesterday.
Shawn had to stop for a moment when he reached the picture his mother took of them outside the funeral home. He remembered the feel of her black dress as he held her close. He remembered the soft words she whispered to him that night in bed when he finally broke down and cried.
And I remember how you held me the night my father died. I didn't have to tell you. I just broke down and cried.
Shawn struggled to remember why they were apart. "Being with you was as natural as breathing." He whispered, gently running his fingers over a picture of her backstage at a pay per view.
You're sewn into the fabric, the pieces of my life. And I just can't remember why we said goodbye.
In his mind the last fight they had replayed in his mind.
Sara was packing her bag when he came into their hotel room. "Where are you going Sara?"
"I'm going back to school." She answered. "I'm going to get my law degree and do what I should have done, instead of ."
"Instead of what, wasting your life with me?" Shawn asked, moving forward to grab her arm.
"Ask me to stay Shawn. Ask me to marry you. Tell me that you love me and I'll stay. I'll put my dreams aside for as long as you want me to, just give me that." Sara said, turning to face him.
Shawn stopped and just looked at her. "I can't marry you Sara, you know that."
"You can't or you won't?" Sara asked, slamming her suitcase shut.
"What does it matter?" Shawn asked, desperately trying to grab her.
"It matters to me Shawn. You'll sleep in my bed every night but you won't commit to me or marry me. You claim that you love me but I don't feel it. I can't live like this anymore. That's why I'm leaving Shawn." Sara said, picking up the suitcase and heading for the door.
"I love you Sara. Doesn't that mean anything?" Shawn asked.
"I love you too, Shawn. But it's not enough, for either of us. Goodbye Shawn." Those were the last words she said before walking out the door.
Up and down this boardwalk lonely people sit. I know it wasn't perfect but nothin' ever is. The sails out in the harbor. Are searching for the wind.
Shawn reached into Paul's bag and pulled out the slip of paper with Sara's number on it. He dialed the number with shaking fingers and waited.
I just had to call you; I had to hear your voice. And tell you I still love you we still have a choice. You're sewn into the fabric, the pieces of my life. And I just can't remember why we said goodbye.
"Hello?" Sara answered after the second ring.
"Sara ." Shawn breathed her name, not believing that he was talking to her.
"Shawn." Sara answered.
"Paul told me that he talked to you and I had to call." Shawn said. "Came I come and see you?"
Sara hesitated for a moment. "Sure, do you remember the address?"
"Yes. I'll be right there."
Everything I do. Leads back to you. I know I just can't let us go.
Ten minutes later, Shawn was knocking on the door to Sara's modest ranch house. "Hi." She said nervously as she opened the door.
"Hi." Shawn answered. "I love you Sara, I never stopped. If I could go back ."
"Shawn, don't." Sara said softly.
"No please let me finish." Shawn answered. "I would have asked you to marry me but I was so worried about my career . I'm sorry. I was a fool. Forgive me?"
"I forgive you Shawn." Sara said softly. "I do."
Shawn pulled her into his arms and looked down at her. "Do you still love me?"
"I never stopped." Sara answered. Shawn lowered his head and captured her lips in a light kiss. "Take me to bed, Shawn . please."
"We need to talk, first."
"We'll talk after." Sara replied, kissing him.
There must have been a reason, but I can't remember now. I know if I could hold you we could work it out. You're sewn into the fabric the pieces of my life. And girl let's give it one more try. Cause I just can't remember why we said goodbye.
