Epilogue: Eleanor & Park
1 year later:
Everytime I see a red head, my heart skips a beat. Then I realize the girl is too skinny. She is too this, too that. Never enough. Then one day is happened.
I saw her. She was alone, reading a comic book. I walk up silently behind her and I see it's the comic book I gave her a year ago, when I dropped her off in Minnesota. She is crying. I watch her shoulders shake, and feel like wrapping myself around her. But I hold myself back.
For a moment I think I won't do anything about. I think that if I say something then when we go our separate ways again, it will hurt so much. But I think then that it would too depressing to just walk away without saying anything. I reach my hand out. "Eleanor." She turns around and her eyes widen. She just stares at me. "Eleanor." I say again.
She sets down the comic book and stands up. "Park." she whispers. I smile, and it's like she loses control. She hugs me and I burry my face in her hair. I breathe her in. She still smells like Eleanor. My Eleanor.
"Park," she whispers again. She is crying and I hope that it's because she is happy. We stand there for a long time. Eventually we let go and she puts her forehead onto mine. I stare into her eyes and she stares into mine.
I let go and I take her hand and lead her to a park bench. I sit down pull her down next to me. "How have you been," I ask.
She smiles. Her real smile. "I've been okay. Miss you though," she says. I smile at her. She kisses me. I didn't realize how much I missed her, until now.
I know we are both hurt from this past year. Not being together. I know that we can continue what we had. It will last forever. For an infinity. Whether we are together, or apart. I love her. I know she loves me. That is what I have held on to for so long. Now we can start again, and make things right again. Not perfect, but I know that perfect is in our future. And I believe it's beautiful.