Choices That We Make
Some believed that your life was simply a string of decisions, each one of them more important than the previous, and events followed by them. Cause and effect and so on...
They were wrong. It was all in the small, at-first-glance meaningless details, that if changed could create another reality, a parallel world. But how could you distinguish the big from the small choices? For example, catching your plane half an hour earlier to surprise your girlfriend could seem an insignificant decision, right? Wrong! Because just that little detail was able to change realities and destroy worlds.
Of course, that had been the last thing that had crossed Ianto Jones' mind as he'd entered his apartment, his and his girlfriend's, and stumbled on said girlfriend snogging another man on their couch. Years later, as he looked back to that day, he realized that was how his story had started.
"How could you, Lisa?" This Ianto, however, was too busy shouting at his girlfriend to think. The stranger had left 5 minutes ago, seconds after his gaze had laid on Ianto.
"Please, cariad, hear me out," Lisa begged, grasping his hands in her own. He didn't push her away, too afraid he might hurt her even after what she'd done, but refused to meet her eyes nonetheless. "It was just a kiss. One kiss, Ianto, believe me."
The man shook his head, feeling tears burn in his eyes. And he had been so happy, so eager to come home and tell Lisa about that amazing offer some organization named Torchwood had made him. They had even proposed him a place for her. And the salary... they'd have needed to work just a couple of years to lay up enough so their grandchildren would live like kings. Now he didn't even know if they would have grandchildren.
"Forgive me, cariad. I'll never make such a mistake again." Lisa continued and he had to bite his lips to keep the snark reply burning on his tongue. You wouldn't cheat on me or you wouldn't let yourself get caught? He felt betrayed and small and... and so exhausted.
Ianto sighed and nodded, almost smiling when Lisa's face lit up. After all, it had been his fault as well. He shouldn't have left his girlfriend alone so soon after they had moved to London. She had felt lonely and turned to another man. Smiling softly, he extended his arms and Lisa leapt in them, just like she would have done if he had been 30 minutes late.
And somewhere in the back of Ianto's mind, a preposition that could have changed his life laid forgotten.
A/N Yes, I know, this was weird and basically had nothing to do with the summary of the story. But don't worry, we are getting there. It is a mystery after all.
