This one shot is inspired by Good in Goodbye by Carrie Underwood. Great song. Hope you enjoy.
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Jac set the wine glass down the table and smiled. The man sitting opposite her smiled in return. Jonny looked happy as well. "How was the meal?" Jonny asked, almost nervously.
"Lovely." Jac said, honestly. The meal had been nice - a pasta carbonara and a glass of wine. Jonny had had tiramisu for dessert, but Jac had passed. Jac saw that he didn't believe her. "Honestly, Jonny. It was lovely." The worried look on his face faded, replaced with a smile.
"Are you ready to go?" Jac nodded, and she pushed her chair backwards, watching as Jonny did the same. "Can you remember where we parked the car?" Jac shook her head.
"Your memory really is a sieve, Jonny." She said, jokingly.
"Maybe, maybe." As she turned to leave the building, she felt an arm snake around her back. Although she wasn't completely comfortable with the public show of affection, she left the arm where is was. "You haven't thrown my arm off yet. This is an improvement." Jac smiled as they passed through the double doors and out in to the street. The air was cold, and it bit at her skin. She was glad of the little protection that Jonny's arm gave.
They walked down the street without talking, both enjoying the moment. They turned a corner, and she glanced at Jonny, who was staring up at the sky, watching the stars go by. She saw him start to move his mouth, as if he was about to saw something, but the silence was shattered by a loud laugh.
The laugh had come from a group of four or five men and women standing outside a restaurant, that Jac had been to a couple of times, a little way down the road, but the funny thing was; Jac was almost certain she recognised it. She couldn't place it, but still, something about it resonated deep with in her. She shook it away as a coincidence and she looked back up at Jonny. He was about to speak again, but another laugh sounded out, causing Jac to turn her head.
She caught a glimpse that stopped her in her tracks. Her blood froze in her veins, and a breath caught in her throat. Memories flooded her head, memories of times gone by - happy times and sad times. A man was standing just outside of the restaurant. He had close cut dark hair and bright, intelligent, blue eyes, that shined like torch beams in the dark of the night.
She was so transfixed by the man's face, she hardly noticed the girl sitting atop his shoulders. She had long, brown hair, was about two or three and was clutching a red balloon. Jac knew where the girl got her crystal blue eyes. It was obvious, and felt like a punch to the gut. The man hadn't noticed her, not yet. He had a wide grin of his face, and he was talking animatedly to a boy standing next to him. The boy was no more than five or six, and he also had shining, inquisitive blue eyes, just like his sister and his father. A woman was standing next to the man, and Jac saw they were holding hands. She had long dark hair, just like her daughter. She was smiling as well.
Time had been sweet to him, Jac thought, as she felt Jonny tug on her hand. They started walking again, but Jac twisted her head to look behind her. The man and his family had started walking away in the opposite direction. She felt her heart sink a little. He hadn't seen her.
Jac thought back to the last time she had seen him, and how much it had hurt. She thought about it, as she and Jonny walked down the twisty streets, back to the car. She sighed and realised that it it could - should, maybe - have been worse for her. She thanked god she hadn't got what she had thought she had deserved, after what she had done. If that had happened, she wouldn't be walking down a narrow street hand in hand with a lovely Scottish nurse.
She guessed that they had come to a crossroads, at the point she had last seen him. Life wanted to take her down one road and him another. And so, they had parted and thought it had been tough, she had made it though to the other end of the tunnel. They had both been holding on to something they had to let go, for the greater good. She finally realised why there was a good in goodbye. She finally understood, that she wasn't going to see him again - that she had seen him for the last time, and that the fact that they were apart, was for good.
She didn't regret getting involved with him in the first place, she knew that if she had known about the hurt that it would cause, she would have done it anyway - just to feel the love that he had shown her. She wasn't going to forget the memories anytime soon, either - they were too special to her.
She guessed, after seeing him with his wife and his family, that they had both ended up where they belonged. Him with his wife - Jennifer, wasn't it? - and her with Jonny. She was happy. Jonny made her happy. And that was better than spending the rest of her life waiting for something that was never going to come. Goodbye had made them strong enough to go out and find the one who they would spend the rest of their lives with.
She knew, ever since she had watched him leave that day, that she would see him one day - on the street, at work or outside a restaurant - and it would be bittersweet. She would look at all she lost to get to where she was now. It would hurt, she knew that. But it was worth it. She remember how she had felt earlier in the evening, having her meal with her boyfriend,with Jonny.
She was dragged from her thoughts by the beeping of the car. Jonny had he keys in on hand and had opened the car. It was in front of them, and Jac climbed onto the passenger seat. Jonny started the car and he reversed out of the space. They drove down the road in silence, Jac wasn't in the talky mood.
They passed a car park, and she saw him again. He was just about to climb into the car when Jac reached out and put a hand on Jonny's. "Stop the car."
"Why?"
"Just do it, Jonny, now!" She exclaimed. After checking there was no traffic behind them, Jonny brought the car to a stop. Jac lent across and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be a sec." She opened the car door and walked, quickly, across the car park to his car. "Joseph!" She called out in the chilly night air. The man - Joseph - whirled around at the sound of his voice. She saw shock in his eyes. She walked towards him, smiling. He was standing as still as a statue.
"Joe?" Jac saw the woman come round the corner, the girl in her arms. "Oh, who's your friend?"
"Put Izzy in the car and I'll come in a second." The woman went to speak, but then thought about it and nodded, going back round the way she had come. Jac closed the gap between them and lent up, kissing him on the cheek.
"Thank you." She whispered, quietly. She turned and walked away, determined not to look back.
"What for?" He shouted after her.
"Showing me how to love." She called, softly, over her shoulder. She knew that he heard her.
She opened the car door and put her seatbelt on. She could feel Jonny's eyes on her. "Who's he?" Jac smirked, she could hear a twinge of jealousy in his tone.
"An old friend." Jac guessed that he wanted to know more, but he kept his mouth shut and started driving. "I love you, Jonny. Don't forget that." She watched Jonny smile out of the corner of her eye, and smiled as well. She had loved Joseph so much - and maybe she still loved him, she wasn't sure - but they had both moved on, and she knew it was for the best.