July 31st...We would have been together now. Going to the movies, going grocery shopping, going on holidays... living.

I would have gone to college nearby and she would've carried on her work at the school. I would come home after each day and she would be waiting for me, our dogs running up to greet me as she kissed my cheek and sat me down to eat the food she had made. This was a dream of mine, to live with her. I had pretty much lived with her anyway during the holidays but, that was all in the past.

I'm still not sure about what to do with my life...Well, I decided to take a gap year before thinking about my future career. At the moment though I worked in a DVD store, nothing big but the pay was decent and my dad wanted me to get out of the house so y'know. I worked there every evening as that was when it was busiest, it's the time where most people would come in to pick up a movie to watch with their dates or friends. They could either rent or buy, we also sold games and CD's so the place was full of kids and teens, in the days usually.

I was told I was still sick but that was something that couldn't be helped. I can't force myself to eat if I don't have an appetite. I can't force myself to feel if I no longer have the ability. I can't force myself to be normal when my situation didn't include the word.

I just wanted to try to get on with my life now...start over. Over the entire seven month period, I had gained a lot of problems, illnesses but I had done well in forgetting her. Of course I still thought of her, but she wasn't coming back so why dwell on the past?

I sighed as I left the counter and browsed the array of movies seeing as there was nobody in the store, this is what I usually would do when I got bored. I ran my fingers over the plastic cases as I looked and stopped when I came to a certain movie.

'Bambi'. I remembered watching it with her and her crying at the part where his mom died. After i cried about my own mother, she took me in her arms but didn't say a word, she didn't need to, she was all that I needed. Just to feel her made me better. I shook my head and told myself to stop, just walk away, walk away from the past.

I tried...but found I couldn't, for fucks sake. You're weak Tiffany! Weak! Spineless!
I picked the DVD up and read the description on the back like I had before she and I watched it. I was almost finished until I heard the bell signalling someone walking in so I made my way back to the counter while reading the last bit of it and then once finished, I set the DVD down on the side for me to pay for it after I had dealt with the customer.

I looked around but saw no one which told me they were browsing the store, probably too short to be seen over the shelving. In the meantime, I picked up the movie I had decided to buy and grabbed my bag from under the counter. I looked inside for some money before rummaging more. I was sure I had money inside...my head was down in concentration as I searched.

A sudden movement caught my eye, causing them to flicker up slightly...a person's hand pushing a DVD towards me, their fingers covering the title.

"Sorry, I'll be with you in just a moment" I murmured. Finally I found the money and put it in the cash register, now able to tend to my customer. As I was putting my bag back down, the person's fingers tapped on the case impatiently before moving back and revealing the movie's name.

'The Conjuring'

I gulped as the memories flooded back to me, me being terrified and then cuddling up to her, her vanilla scent invading my nostrils just like it was now. Wait, what?
I shook my head of the thoughts, a lot of people wore vanilla scented stuff, stop dwelling on the past Tiffany...just stop.
I held in my sigh and went to grab the movie but the hand came to rest on top of it again, stopping my own in mid air.

I would've been annoyed or even nervous but something stopped those feelings from even registering...

A heart, a key, a padlock. All were shown on that very familiar piece of jewellery. Time stood still as the moisture left my mouth, the vanilla scent flooding my senses, overriding them. My eyelashes fluttered as I stared at those charms and then the smooth pale hand, the choice of movie...

I clenched my jaw and my body refused to move. Bit by bit, my eyes made their way up the person's arm to their shoulders, the prominent collarbone, their neck that housed a locket, their chin that was showing a perfect little dimple.
They trailed upwards until I focused on those lips for a moment before moving on to that button nose, and then finally...those eyes, full of tears.

It was her.