She promised a week. She told him it wouldn't be long, that she would be home before he even began to miss her. She never broke her promises, not to him.
That is, until she did.
He could still feel her lips against his if he focused. He could still feel the warmth of her hands in his if he tried hard enough. He could even hear her voice echoing in the hallways if he listened closely. Yet anytime he did not try, his lips and hands grew cold, now that there was not someone there to help him keep warm. Her voice faded into just a whisper, and he knew he would one day forget the way she sounded. He knew one day he would forget the things about her that made him love her more and more each day, but that day was not coming any time soon.
The house they shared was empty when she was not there to fill the silence. The places he once loved, he dreaded now that she was no longer there. He began to wonder if it was the places he loved, or the woman he was with. The world seemed like a darker place when she was not there to light it up. She was his guiding light, and without her, he didn't know his next move.
He still held the envelope in his hands, weeks after she was gone. He never had the strength to read it, but he knew what it meant. He knew it meant she wasn't coming back, not this time. He waited until he was alone, and he was sure that she wouldn't come home. He walked out to the beach as a storm brewed in the skies above, and the winds bit at his cheeks, but he didn't feel cold anymore. He didn't feel much of anything. His fingers brushed over the white envelope, running over the place where she had signed his name. He slipped a finger under the paper that had been sealed shut, opening the letter. To his shock, there was no letter, no long explanation. There was nothing but a small sheet of paper, and a necklace on a gold chain. He pulled the small piece of paper out of the envelope, his breath caught in his chest.
'And it's flawless, you are the only one, you are the only one, don't you know?'
The words were simple and few, but it spoke louder than any explanation would have. He set the piece of paper back in the envelope, taking a deep breath as he pulled out the necklace. The emerald stone still glistened in the sun, even when it was covered by the clouds.
"But it's broken," she frowned, holding the necklace in the palm of her hand. "It's absolutely shattered," she said, looking down at the broken gem. "Don't be ridiculous," he smiled, taking her hands in his. When he moved them away, the necklace still lay in her hands, but this time, it was shaped perfectly, as if nothing had ever happened. "I do not see a single crack," he added, winking in her direction. "Nothing is broken, darling. Sometimes it just needs a little bit of a push in the right direction."
He clenched his hands in a fist, frowning as he recalled the memory. It seemed everything was broken now, and this he could not fix with a bit of magic. This could not be mended with a push. This was not only broken, but it was not able to be fixed. His expression grew to one of anger as the necklace made an imprint in his hand. Out of anger, he swung his arm over his shoulder and let it go, watching it drop into the ocean.
Upon realizing what he had done, he threw his hand over his mouth, sinking to his knees. There had been many times when he had wished he could start over and make it right, but now, he desperately wished he had. He would have given anything to say he was sorry, and to make up for all of the lost time. Now, though, was not a time for wishes. He couldn't wish away his sorrows, as much as he wanted to. His shaky hands covered his face as he let out the tears he had been holding in for so long. And for a while, he tried to focus on her, to imagine himself being comforted by her touch that he craved for so long. A touch he wouldn't – he couldn't feel again.
But if he tried hard enough, he could feel her hand on his shoulder. If he listened closely, he could hear her telling him that all would work out in it's time. If he focused, he could imagine she was by his side, making the storm pass.
Still, no matter how hard he tried, it never felt the same as it did when she was really there beside him.
When he moved to walk back to the house, he glanced at the waves crashing on the shore, something caught his eye, and on instinct, he took it in his hands. The emerald still shone as bright as it had been before, but this time he was determined not to let it go.
That way, when she finally came back, he would have it to give back to her.
Maybe, in their little oasis, one day, he would.
A/N: Surprise, Zenappa ;)