The train was coming in twenty minutes. I couldn't do this. People were lined up on the platform as far as I could see. Mothers and sisters were huddled around their young boys prattling on about clean socks and proper manners. They avoided talking about their impending departure and put on a brave face. The boys stand tall answering all the requests their mothers gave them while chatting with their fathers about embarking on this new adventure. I laughed without humor. My goodbye would look very different than theirs. They acted like they knew for certain they would be reunited in the future. I wasn't so sure.
I remember the first time I saw him. It was the summer of 1938. I had just moved to London to live with my aunt Renee and was going to attend a university there in the fall. My aunt's estate was beautifully green and had vast gardens full of colorful exotic flowers. The house was an old Victorian style mansion with vines crawling up the sides. It looked like something out of a fairytale. As we pulled up the driveway, there stood the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. He was dressed in a stark white collared shirt and khakis. He looked to be very tall and muscular with unruly auburn hair. I was mesmerized, shocked, and terrified at the same time by incredible attractive man. The car stopped and he opened my door and held his hand out to me
"You must be Bella. Renee has told me so much about you. My name is Edward Cullen but please call me Edward. I live down the street," He said as he helped me out of the car.
I looked up into his sparkling emerald eyes and everything else ceased to exist. I knew I had found my missing piece. "It's a pleasure to meet you Edward."
We have spent every minute together for the past year. He makes me laugh like no one else can. He makes me feel alive and worthwhile. Like my opinion matters to someone. Six months into our courtship, he asked me to be his wife, to stay by his side forever. I couldn't imagine how life could be so perfect, or what I did to deserve such happiness, but I was eternally grateful for it.
About two months after I accepted Edward's proposal, our bubble shattered. I could never forget that day. I was busy making lunch for Jonathan and myself when Martha—Edward's housekeeper—brought the mail in like she normally did.
"Edward, dear, there is something here for you. It just arrived," Martha said as she set the letter down in front of him.
He started to open the letter and said "That's strange. I wasn't expecting anything."
"I bet it's from your mother," I called over my shoulder as I finished the sandwiches I was making, "She is probably having such a wonderful time in town that she decided to send you a post card."
I walked over and set the sandwiches on the table and look up to find Edward staring at the letter in his hand with a look of utter shock on his face.
I giggled. "What is it? Did you mother buy something completely ridiculous?"
He said nothing, stood up, and walked around the table to where I was standing. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed a tender kiss to my forehead.
"It isn't from my mother."
I tensed in his arms. An unexplainable amount of fear spread through me. "Then who's it from?"
"The government. I am to report for active duty in Berlin," he whispered in to my hair.
"What? There must be some kind of mistake. The mail man must have delivered this to the wrong address," I muttered as I grabbed the letter from his hand. I wanted to see for myself. Surely he was just joking around with me. Though how he thought this was funny was beyond me. I read the letter over and over trying to find the mistake that would allow me to keep Edward here with me. Tears started to burn my eyes as I found there was no mistake and no escape this living nightmare.
"This isn't fair. Why you? Isn't here anyone else they can send?" I started to sobbed. There was no way this could be happening now. Not after everything was going so perfectly.
Edward moved us to the bench in the kitchen with me cradled in his lap. He crushed me to his chest as my sobs wracked my frame and rocked me back and forth.
"Baby, please don't cry. Everything is going to be ok," he whispered in my ear as my sobs started to subside.
"How can it be ok when you're leaving? I can't do this without you. I need you too much," I said as I look up at him. I was starting to get hysterical again.
"Bella, I love you more than life itself. It hurts to be away from you even if only for a minute. I would never do anything to cause you any kind of pain. I only want to see you happy, be the one that makes you happy," He said while looking directly into my eyes. I was so relieved. He was going to stay with me. He wasn't going to go. Everything was going to go back to the way it was.
"But, I have to go."
The squeal of the train whistle brought me out of my daydreams. Back to the horrible reality that brings me to this platform. Edward had one arm wrapped around me and the other clutching his duffle bag. I can't even look at him. It wasn't supposed to be like this. This hurt too much. I couldn't do this. I needed more time. I just couldn't say goodbye or pretend like everything was going to turn out alright. I needed him.
"Sweetheart are you alright? You're shaking," the concern in Edwards's voice startled me. He dropped his bag and tilted my face up so that we were looking at each other.
The tears I had been fighting for weeks started to trickle down my face. I felt so weak. He had handled this news with much more grace that I had. I hadn't wanted to show him how much this was hurting me.
"Hey now, none of that, everything is going to be fine. We are going to be fine. We are going to live happily ever after. This is just all part of our fairytale," he whispered while his fingers wiped my tears away.
"You don't know that," I croaked.
"Yes I do. A love like ours is rare. Special. Created to defy death, withstand time, and ignore distance," He said it with such conviction. I almost believed him.
"But what if…" I started, but he pulled me close and cut me off.
"Shhh. Do you love me?" He was looking directly into my eyes, into my soul, with all the pain and longing he had been hiding from me until now. A fresh round to tears started to fall.
I held his gaze trying to convey how much I loved him with my eyes "You know I do," I vowed.
"Then that's all that matters. I'll come back to you I promise. I swear it. Nothing could keep me away, you know that don't you?" His voice was thick with emotion.
I nodded, too overwhelmed for words.
He pressed his forehead to mine and brought both hands up to rest on either side of my face. He took a deep breath, than lowered his lips to mine for what would be our farewell kiss.
"All aboard!" the conductor shouted.
Edward pulled away from me too soon, but made no move to board the train.
"This isn't goodbye," he whispered.
"No, never goodbye, just see you later," I said softly.
He reached down to collect his things without letting go of me. As he stood up, he looked at me with such uncertainty it frightened me.
"Wait for me?" he spoke so softly I had to strain to hear him.
"Always and forever," I promised as pressed my lips to his for one last kiss.
He pulled away and swiftly boarded the back of the train. I watched as the train took the only thing that means anything to me further and further away until I couldn't see the train anymore.
Now all there was left to do was wait.