"I don't like you anymore, I'm sorry…"
Rio could remember Neil's words so perfectly. Tightly, she held the ring that he once wore on his ring finger to prove their bond. It was a simple silver promise ring that held such deep meaning. It was almost as deep as the blue feather which she is sad to say she never got the chance to receive from the animal dealer.
As rude as he was to her when they first met, he broke it off to her in the gentlest way possible. He didn't want their relationship to end on a bad note. After he spoke of breaking it off, there was an awkward silence. She knew it hurt him when he didn't hear her muffle a sob or see her eyes brimmed with tears. His lonely, distant red eyes were silently asking her why she did not let loose waterworks.
'What is there to cry about?' Her eyes silently replied back, there was no emotion. They were just as distant as his.
Their get together was hasty and needing. They both had oh so desired to share what lovers did when it came to needing comfort. He had come from a troubled past and she had come from the isolation of a hospital. It only made sense for them to choose each other. They didn't hate each other, nor did they know if they actually loved each other so nothing really kept them from exchanging rings at the Goddess's Pond. Whenever they needed an ear, they would schedule dinner for the two of them and hear each other out.
They genuinely thought that this was what love was, later did they realize that was only a small part of it. Love was something that brought joy and joy was something that could only be experienced after feeling pain. Both had endured pain but why did they not witness such joy? It was simple; there was no love to be found. Throughout their short time of faked happiness together never did they once kiss, hold hands, hug, stare lovingly into the other's eyes, or listen to each other. They lent their ear, but never did they listen. If they actually did they could have made it last at least a little while longer, but it was probably for the best that it ended there.
How can one love when love is not even there? Whatever shred of love they actually felt for each other was like a one-night stand, there one night and gone the oncoming morning.
"Can we go back to how we were before?"
Rio's face was blank while she stared at the grass below her feet. He could remember distinctly how plainly she said her answer. It was almost cruel.
"Maybe,"
Now in the present, Neil was operating his animal stand. He was hopeful that she would have an errand that involved having to visit him. Months had passed (he had lost track) since their breakup, she has been avoiding him as of late and only on certain occasions had they crossed paths (mainly because of his and her occupation). She's been building a house. The house was hard to miss since it was being built quite close to his house. Just the day before today it was finished and painted a sky blue color.
He then noticed on his way home there were two people in front of the newly built home, one of the two certainly being Rio. It was obvious by the tacky cow-patterned hat on her blonde little head. She was talking to a man around his age, maybe a year older. He had red hair and black-rimmed glasses that almost hid his ocean blue eyes. Just by looking at him he could tell that he and that man were totally different and the chances of getting along were not very likely. But then he noticed something different about Rio, specifically there was something different about her eyes.
There was joy in her eyes. Faintly, Neil smiled for her.