Happy 4th to all celebrating, this just kind of hit me earlier in the day. I hope you like it.
She sits and lets the surrounding silence envelop her for a moment. Like the other times she's done this, it screams how alone she really is. She wants to fight it, tell it she's not alone. She has her work and her friends. But it's her conscience that answers her back, 'then why are you here alone? Again'.
He sits and stares at a point on the wall wishing she would stop. Silence. His eyes flick back to her and she begins again. He retreats back into his own mind. Questioning why her though this would be a good idea. Or what set her off this time. So for now he sits pretending to care.
Her eyes flick to the clock on the wall. She stands and stretches before going to the elevator.
His eyes flick to the clock on his desk. He stands abruptly silencing the source of the noise for a passing moment. He makes his way to the porch.
It's hot on the roof. Not unbearable but enough to make you a little uncomfortable. She has a few minutes and she looks down to the city she loves.
There is a chill to the breeze as it passes along his arms. He just closes his eyes and takes in the sound of waves crashing, the rustle of leaves, and crickets.
The first one goes off and startles them out of their peace. And it takes a few minutes for them to come off one of the scariest moments of their lives. But they push the memory down to enjoy the show. The end is coming they both sense it. Along with the end come the memories again.
For her it's the phone call, the explosion, and the arms of the man helping her out of her apartment.
For him it's the realization, the explosion, and the fear of being too late. He instinctively reaches for his phone.
She wishes she didn't feel this way. That she didn't want those arms around her again. But mostly she wishes she was there with him.
He hesitates. She could be with him. Happy. But he needs to know. Make sure she's ok. He wishes in that moment to be back with her. She's fine, he argues with himself. You miss her and she's with him. Thinking of him made him anything but happy. He wouldn't understand, he argues back. He wasn't there. He wasn't there he repeats aloud this time.
They both stand, the seconds passing like hours. Finally she begins heading back. He continues to wait and the he hears his answer.
"Hello."
She knows it's him when she hears her phone ring. She knows why he's calling her too. And just for right now she needs it too.