It was a cold spring day.
Anna stood anxiously fidgeting at her cardigan as she waited for the car to arrive.
A strong gust of wind took her by surprise and immediately sent chills through her body.
She checked her phone: "4:26PM" it showed.
Despite having to withstand the cool temperature Anna felt glad that there was still four more minutes until he was due to arrive.
"He might get caught in traffic and he's late. Or he lost track of time because he was playing on his computer" Anna prayed in her head but her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car engine of which she knew too well.
Anna sighed.
Just as she had expected, a black Honda Civic pulled up around the corner of the street.
Anna was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions.
"How do you tell someone that loves you, that you no longer love them back?" She questioned.
She felt her eyes burn up as her eyes filled with tears. She closed her eyes and begged for the tears to stop.
Anna told herself to stay strong.
The car pulled up on to her driveway.
Anna opened her eyes and put on a smile as she opened the car door.
The familiar scent of the car made Anna realise that this was probably the last time she would sit in this car.
"Hey babe," Justin said as he watched her settle into her seat "hope you haven't been waiting for long."
Anna closed her door and looked over at her boyfriend.
His hair was tousled like always. One section stuck out to the side in the opposite direction to the rest of his hair.
"Nope not long at all, in fact you're early today," she said as she attempted to fix his messy hair.
Her eyes met with his. He smiled and leaned in for a kiss.
Anna quickly broke eye contact and looked back to his hair and began pushing down the area that was sticking up.
Although it was a premature thought, she felt that kissing him just wasn't appropriate anymore.
"So, where do you want to go today?" He asked as he figured she was probably too focused on his hair to give him a kiss. "The park?"
Three years ago Anna and Justin had serendipitously discovered this park while lost and tired.
Ever since that day "the park" has been their favourite spot. It was where they shared some of their happiest memories together.
As much as Anna wanted the park to remain a happy place in her memory, she wanted to spend just one last afternoon with Justin there.
"Sure," she said as they pulled out of the driveway to embark on one last trip to the park.
The clouds glowed as the sunset painted the sky shades of blue, pink and orange.
They were sitting on their favourite bench.
The wind rustled through the leaves.
Anna's heartbeat was racing. It was cold but she was sweating through her clothes.
She opened her mouth but nothing came out.
Instead she took another moment to capture this moment that they still had together.
He was looking up at a tree and talking about something to do with basketball.
Her eyes traced his face. She was going to miss those soft brown eyes. That slightly crooked nose. That smile that used to make her melt. The face that she once loved.
Despite a moment of hesitation, Anna knew this was the right decision.
He had stopped talking and was now looking into the sunset.
It was time.
She opened her mouth. She felt that her heart was about to jump out of her chest.
"I have something to say," she began. "I've been feeling this way for a while now..."
It was too late to turn back.
It had been exactly one week since that cold afternoon at the park.
They hadn't spoken since their break up.
Justin had told Anna it was best if they didn't speak for a while.
It had been a hard week for Anna.
Although it was her idea to break up, she was still torn.
After being in a relationship with Justin, she almost didn't know how to live a life without him anymore.
She realised just how lonely being alone felt.
Her friends told her that they were here for her and that she could talk to them at any time.
The only person she felt like sharing her foreign emotions with was with Justin.
She considered texting him several times to check up on him but never found the courage to hit send.
She respected his wish for them to not speak for a while.
Justin's friends told her that he was having a hard time but dealing with it and that they would take care of him.
She spent every night of that week crying herself to sleep.
It was on that night exactly one week after their breakup that Anna's phone buzzed.
Her face lit up as she read who the text was from.
It was from Justin.
"He's ready to talk to me!" she was thrilled.
From Justin:
Hey…
I know I said I didn't want to talk for a while but I couldn't help myself.
Its been exactly one week since you ended things. I've repeated every thing you said a million times in my head about how you've lost feelings and that you would rather be alone.
I was too shocked that day to tell you how I feel.
I just wanted to tell you that I haven't lost any feelings for you at all.
I still love you with all my heart, Anna.
I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you feel this way but I can change I swear I can change.
I love you Anna please baby, please know that.
I think you still love me too but its just been so long since you've been alone that you find yourself wanting some freedom.
Deep down inside you still love me I believe.
Give me one last chance to prove to you that you love me and that we belong together.
This past week has been nothing short of excruciating and I can't spend another day without you.
Please Anna, give me one more chance.
I love you so so so so much baby.
What do you say?
Tears flowed from her eyes and they dripped onto the phone blurring the screen.
She fought her emotions. She knew what she had to reply.
To Justin:
I'm sorry. I've thought about this for a long time now and I know its what I want.
Take care of yourself.
A month later
Anna had received several similar texts from Justin.
One night he called her and was drunk and crying.
Her replies were pretty much the same.
It had been around 10 days since she last heard from him.
She had become more adjusted to her single life.
It was an early Saturday morning when Anna's phone rang and woke her from her sleep.
The call was from Wren, one of Justin's best friends.
"Hello?" Anna mumbled as she picked up the phone.
"Hey Ann, sorry to wake you up and I know you guys broke up but something happened last night," Wren spoke urgently.
"Yea sure what's up?" Anna yawned not really registering what he was saying.
"Last night we had a boys night. We all had a little too much to drink but Justin drank almost double what everyone else had. Halfway through the night we realised he was gone and so was his car…"
Anna was frozen. She didn't want him to continue.
"Please don't tell me…" she interrupted with tears welling up in her eyes.
"He crashed his car into a tree and totalled his car," Wren's voice was shaky "He woke up before but he lost it Anna, he lost it."
Anna was now bawling fearing the worst.
"HE LOST WHAT? HIS LEGS? HIS ARMS? WHAT?!" She demanded.
"He lost his memory. The doctors are talking to him now but it seems like he can't remember anything from the past 3 or 4 years."
And with that, Anna knew Justin had received the closure he needed. The pain of the breakup is over for Justin.
But Wren's words felt like daggers.
She had to know if the person she spent the past three years with still remembered her.
"Which hospital? I'm coming right now."