"Did you find it yet, Nathaniel?" called Chips from the deck of the boat.
"Not yet," replied Nate. Instead of their much needed atlas, Nate found the last thing he thought he would find aboard Captain Chips' vessel, the Belinda. In the ship's cramped closet, hidden beneath a mountain of dirty polo shirts and khakis, he rediscovered a treasured piece of his past which brought back both nostalgic and painful memories of the girl he loves, or loved.
The first thing he did was check the left sleeve of the moss green cashmere V-neck sweater, and in it, he found the tiny gold heart which Blair painstakingly sewed there years ago. Blair told him that she sewed it there, so he would always have her heart on his sleeve. Nate reacted the way any high school guy would. He showed slight emotion and gratitude and made sure that he did not lose his macho façade, but inside, he appreciated her gesture greatly. No one had ever done anything like that for him before. Sure, it was a tad cheesy, but to Blair, it was a symbol of her love for him. No other girl would ever think of doing such a thing. But then again, there was no one else like Blair.
I'll be seeing you;
In all the old, familiar places;
That this heart of mine embraces;
All day through.
In the small cafe;
The park across the way;
The children's carousel;
The chestnut tree;
The wishing well.
After a few minutes of reminiscing, Nate finally remembered his original purpose for venturing into the closet. Once he found the atlas, he brought it up to Chips who was now lounging in a chair at the front of the boat sipping a glass of red wine.
"Here it is Chips…Sorry it took me so long, I got…sidetracked," said Nate.
"It's alright, Nathaniel. I just feel bad for you. You missed the beautiful sunset. Anyway, while you were down there, the stars decided to grace me with their presence, so I put her on autopilot and decided to soothe myself through wine and the great Sinatra. Care to join me?"
"Sure," Nate replied.
Nate pulled a chair next to Chips and stared up at the twinkling stars. He declined Chips' offer of wine as the next song on Chips' boom box began.
"This song's a favorite of mine," Chips stated.
"Why's that?" Nate questioned.
"'Cause it reminds me of everyone who has made a difference in my life-the people who made it worth living. There are just some people you never forget, ya know?"
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Nate replied.
And I'll be seeing you;
In every lovely, summers day;
And everything that's light and gay;
I'll always think of you that way;
At that moment, Nate only saw one face as he stared up at the night sky. Blair's. He felt a single tear slide down his face as he recalled her small face with its fox-like features and beautiful cobalt blue eyes. He quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand and hoped Chips didn't catch him in his moment of weakness. As the song continued, he felt the terrible feeling of regret that he always experienced whenever he began to miss Blair, but this time, he knew it was over for good. He had taken her for granted too many times. As painful as it was to admit, Blair deserved better. Much better. He couldn't find it in his heart to let her go. But he truly wanted what was best for Blair, and unfortunately, it wasn't him.
I'll find you in the morning sun;
And when the night is new;
55 years later
The very old Nathaniel Archibald placed a bouquet of lavender hydrangeas on the gravestone of Blair Cornelia Stevenson. He had performed this ritual every year since Blair's death two years before.
He stood there in silence until nightfall as he did every year. As the moon appeared, he looked up at it and saw the face of an angel. He then closed his eyes and whispered to the wind, "Soon, I'll be seeing you."
I'll be looking at the moon;
But I'll be seeing you.
"I'll Be Seeing You" -song by Frank Sinatra