She stood motionless in the doorway, unable to believe her luck.
"Um… can I come in?" he asked nervously.
"Oh, yes of course", she replied, feeling rather foolish.
She stepped back inside and held the door open for him. He removed his jacket and hung it up while she shut and locked the door behind him. For a moment, both simply stood still, unsure of what to do next. Silvia was the first to make a move by walking over to the couch and sitting down, Tobin following closely at her heels. Once seated, he looked around and took in his surroundings. The room looked so empty, and lacked the character it once seemed to posses. He could see faint outlines on the walls where a picture frame once hung. Boxes littered the room and small mementoes waiting to be sorted were scattered all over the table. The magnitude of the situation weighed heavily on heart and he knew he had to say something before it was too late. His eyes returned to her face, meeting her gaze. Her beautiful blue eyes held a sad curiosity, as if searching for a sign of hope from his presence. He reached over and gently took her hand.
"Silvia," he began.
Her eyes drifted to the floor as she prepared for what would come next: frightened of the words she didn't want to hear, yet afraid to hope from the words she longed to hear fall from his lips.
"I know we haven't known each other for that long, but…" he paused, trying to collect his thoughts.
She anxiously glanced back up at him, still fretting over what he might say. She noticed that he also seemed fairly nervous which certainly didn't make her feel any better. He looked into her eyes and smiled, instantly feeling more at ease.
"We've been though a lot together," he continued, "and we've come a long way. I mean, it might sound strange to you, but I feel like we've become pretty close already. You mean a lot of me, and I don't want to lose you".
"That doesn't sound strange to me at all" she replied with a smile. "I wish there was another way, but your life is here, and I have to leave tomorrow" she said, a hint of sadness emerging in her beautiful voice.
"There must be something we can do" he insisted, his eyes pleading with her.
"I don't see what."
He thought for a moment.
"I'm going to appeal their decision" he concluded aloud.
"Thank you, but I'm not sure it will do any good. The UN isn't likely to change their decision" she warned him.
"Well, it's worth a shot, right?"
"Right" she smiled.
"And you'll keep in touch?" he asked hopefully. "You can write or call me anytime…"
"Only if you promise to write or call me back."
"You bet" he replied, a smile spreading across his face.
They sat for a moment, simply smiling at one another, until their gaze slowly became more intense. The silence of the room only seemed to enhance the electricity in the air. Tobin suddenly realized that he still held Silvia's hand clasped in his own. Unsure of what to do next, he released her hand and stood up, quickly formulating a standard departing sentence in his mind.
"Well, I guess I should let you finish packing" he said gently, heading towards the door.
He was pleasantly surprised when she got up and followed him, taking hold of his hand to stop him from reaching for his jacket.
"No, it's alright," she replied quickly, "I can do that in the morning. Would you like to stay for some coffee?"
"Sure", he replied with a grin, moving to resume his position on the couch.
She disappeared into the kitchen and he waited eagerly for her return.
TBC
