She didn't know how long she'd been staring at the window with a haunting emptiness filling her. For months, this sensation had been eating away at her emotions. At first, she thought it was nothing and she would get over it, but then it started affecting her work. Granny saw it coming. Winry didn't. So she sat there, waiting for a boy who had made her a promise.
"I'll be back."
Three- no, four simple words that filled her mind. She pondered them and what he could have meant by them. Back when? Five minutes? Five years? Certainly not minutes. It'd been just over a year, but it was more than enough to make Winry constantly anxious. That very anxiety made her unwilling to speak and unwilling to eat. She was shrinking steadily and could barely fix a toaster, even less automail. I'm so pathetic. She'd repeated those words for all this time, wondering where all of her strength had gone. All that optimism and pride in her friend, who had yet to return.
When he'd first gone, she had no doubt that he would come back. She trusted him and waited for one month. Then two. Then three. Then Al had come back, and she was more than ready to accept her two brother figures back into her life with open arms; only, he was the only one who had returned.
"Al!" She ran up to him and hugged him, tears spilling from her eyes in happiness. "I'm so glad." He was very quiet, but she paid no heed. Instead, she excitedly darted her eyes around his old body and his surroundings. "Hey, where's... Ed...?"
Winry stood up and walked outside, going to that place where she'd left the two brothers. Happy memories were only giving her nostalgia, which only made her heart yearn. I'm so pathetic. She slapped herself and sat down in the grass, closing her eyes to take a deep breath.
Where are you, Ed? Aren't you going to keep your promise? She twitched. I send a letter every week, but not once have you sent me once since you went on your mission? Am I not important enough? Aren't we supposed to get married? Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. She hadn't forgotten his proposal. It'd made her heart pound even though it was just a play-on-words to make him feel less nervous. Ed, please come back. Please, please, please... She snapped her eyes open.
Standing a few yards away was a figure. For a split second, she thought it was Edward, but quickly recognized it as a solemn soldier carrying an envelope.
She knew what that meant and didn't want to face it: Edward had been killed. "No," she murmured. "No, no, no. That can't be right!" She raised her voice as she shook her head. Silent sobs racked her body. "God, you idiot, why?" Winry cried into her hands, refusing to even look at the soldier.
"Um, miss, I just came to deliver your mail."
Winry immediately stopped crying and snapped her eyes up at an awkward teenager holding out a stack of envelopes. Inside, a massive weight was taken off her chest. "You're not here to tell me that Ed is dead?" she asked quietly.
"Who's Ed?" He was clearly uncomfortable with her tears and stiffly held out the papers for her to take.
She stood up and grabbed the mailman's collar. "If you tell anybody that I was crying, I'll murder you," she hissed with a charming smile.
The color drained from his face. "Okay," he squeaked, then ran away when she released him.
Winry laughed a little. "Does this mean I give up?" she thought aloud. "Do I forget about him and move on?"
"Geez, Winry, you can't just threaten a weak mailman and then make yourself all sentimental," a voice called out. "Then again, if you didn't, you wouldn't be the girl I fell in love with."
There's no flipping way. The blonde disbelievingly looked up and saw a glorious sight: Edward Elric standing six yards away. He hadn't changed much since he left: his red jacket was nowhere to be seen, but he still wore the same black attire. "Ed?" she tested, not trusting her eyes completely.
"Always have been," he responded with a half-grin. Edward Elric stepped forward, looking down at Winry with affectionate eyes. "Always will be."
Tears filled her eyes, but she bit her lip in concentration to make sure they didn't fall. No! I've been staying strong for Ed!
"It's okay, you can cry." He smiled at her, granting her permission to release her feelings.
Needless to say, Winry broke down in Ed's arms. She closed her eyes and cried and cried, embracing his warm body.
She opened her eyes to find a scrawny female body holding her. "Hun, this is the fourth night you've woken up crying," Granny spoke with concern. "Are you okay?"
And Winry Rockbell didn't know what to say. She felt like going to sleep and being with Ed in her dreams eternally, but she knew that was an impossible option. So she shook Granny off, got out of bed, and prepared for another day without her friend.
