A small concrete bench sat near the entrance of the hospital. It had witnessed many things: the bloody result of a drunken fight, a sailor who had soaked up too much sun, the smoke and fire of a surprise attack, and the joy and sorrow of a lovers' reunion. This is where Evelyn found Rafe, sitting upright, staring out into the sunlight, almost as if he were watching something. In truth, he was; memories of his past flickered like a movie in the theatre of his mind. She did not know whether or not to disturb him, and more than once thought of going back into the hospital. But the excitement which rushed all through her body prevented her from doing this. Reaching out, she placed her hand gently on his shoulder, and as she did, she felt Rafe's body relax. Without looking up, he reached up and placed his own hand on hers. She moved around and sat beside him. His face was pale and expressionless, yet when he looked up, he saw that her cheeks were rosy and her teeth glistened in the smile that spread wide across her face.
"He's back," Rafe said quietly, still staring at her glowing face.
Evelyn nodded, her smile widening even more. "When you both went, I thought I'd never see you again, and when I listened to the radio, everything sounded so crazy, and then they lost contact with you, and I thought that was it, and then at the runway when you didn't come out right away I feared the worst, but then I saw you, and I knew that you would never let anything happen to Danny and that you'd bring him back. And you did! He was a little roughed up, but you brought him back!"
As Rafe listened to her excited ramble, a small hole in his heart appeared. In all the time that he had spent with Evelyn, he had never heard her this way before; never seen her smile so. He looked away. There was a long pause. When he turned back to look at her, he saw that he smile had vanished.
"Rafe…" she said softly, and he lowered his head. "Rafe…" she repeated again, this time placing her hand under his chin to bring his head back to face her. "I'm sorry. Ever since you got back, I've been with Danny. I never even so much as asked how you've been."
He looked back down at his feet. He couldn't look at her. Whenever he did, and he looked into her eyes, he had to use all the will power within him not to take her into his arms. But to his surprise, she embraced him. Hesitantly, he placed his arms around her and returned the embrace. "I'm so glad you're back," she whispered into his shoulder. He pulled back slightly, creating a distance of only a few short inches between their lips. Rafe swallowed hard, and leaned forward. At the last moment, Evelyn turned away. She got up from the bench slowly, one hand upon her stomach, and the other cupped over her mouth. "I can't, " she whispered.
Rafe closed his eyes and breathed deeply, "You really love him," he said in a way that was more a statement than a question.
"Yes," she said, turning around to face him, her hand still clutched to her stomach. "But I love you, too. Rafe, I loved you so much… but I thought you were dead. We all did. And I wasn't going to let myself die with you. I had to move on. I don't know how things happened with me and Danny, they just did. And then you came back. And God, yes, I still love you. I always will. But I also love Danny. I couldn't, and I can't just shut off the love and the life I've formed with him because you came back from the dead. I never meant to hurt you, Rafe. But I know that is exactly what I'm doing, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said, her voice turning into a sob. "I have to go," she whispered.
She turned slowly, and walked back to the hospital, leaving Rafe alone with the bench, broken hearted for the second time.
"He's back," Rafe said quietly, still staring at her glowing face.
Evelyn nodded, her smile widening even more. "When you both went, I thought I'd never see you again, and when I listened to the radio, everything sounded so crazy, and then they lost contact with you, and I thought that was it, and then at the runway when you didn't come out right away I feared the worst, but then I saw you, and I knew that you would never let anything happen to Danny and that you'd bring him back. And you did! He was a little roughed up, but you brought him back!"
As Rafe listened to her excited ramble, a small hole in his heart appeared. In all the time that he had spent with Evelyn, he had never heard her this way before; never seen her smile so. He looked away. There was a long pause. When he turned back to look at her, he saw that he smile had vanished.
"Rafe…" she said softly, and he lowered his head. "Rafe…" she repeated again, this time placing her hand under his chin to bring his head back to face her. "I'm sorry. Ever since you got back, I've been with Danny. I never even so much as asked how you've been."
He looked back down at his feet. He couldn't look at her. Whenever he did, and he looked into her eyes, he had to use all the will power within him not to take her into his arms. But to his surprise, she embraced him. Hesitantly, he placed his arms around her and returned the embrace. "I'm so glad you're back," she whispered into his shoulder. He pulled back slightly, creating a distance of only a few short inches between their lips. Rafe swallowed hard, and leaned forward. At the last moment, Evelyn turned away. She got up from the bench slowly, one hand upon her stomach, and the other cupped over her mouth. "I can't, " she whispered.
Rafe closed his eyes and breathed deeply, "You really love him," he said in a way that was more a statement than a question.
"Yes," she said, turning around to face him, her hand still clutched to her stomach. "But I love you, too. Rafe, I loved you so much… but I thought you were dead. We all did. And I wasn't going to let myself die with you. I had to move on. I don't know how things happened with me and Danny, they just did. And then you came back. And God, yes, I still love you. I always will. But I also love Danny. I couldn't, and I can't just shut off the love and the life I've formed with him because you came back from the dead. I never meant to hurt you, Rafe. But I know that is exactly what I'm doing, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said, her voice turning into a sob. "I have to go," she whispered.
She turned slowly, and walked back to the hospital, leaving Rafe alone with the bench, broken hearted for the second time.
