Chapter Eight: Some Wishes Don't Come True
Ross and Rachel's SECOND New House
Rachel stared at the picture for what seemed like an hour. It was a wedding picture, of Ross and her, both glowing with happiness. Yet, something bothered her... the fact that things had changed. They were happy newlyweds then... and distant lovers now.
For some reason, she thought things would change when they moved back to New York, but how wrong could she have been? Ross worked just as much as he had in California, and now he had small shifts on weekends too.
Suddenly, she heard the door open behind her. It was Ross. She no longer called him her husband, because we was nothing of the kind. Rachel loved him dearly, and never wanted to lose him, but his selfishness bothered her. She had given up so many things for him to be happy, and instead of repaying her, he had left her with a feeling of despair... almost as if she had been forgotten.
"Hey sweetie," Ross said, taking Rachel into his arms. She kissed him softly on the cheek, and without replying, she walked away.
That's when he figured everything out. He finally took the time to think about Rachel, his family, instead of himself. And he understood the what she had been feeling, the emptiness that was deep inside her heart. He knew what he had to do, but he also knew of all the pain that would result because of it.
A Few Weeks Later
It was a beautiful, Saturday morning; July 15th. Rachel got out of bed, her eyes weary, and was not surprised when she realized her husband wasn't lying next to her.
After taking a shower, getting into some nice clothes, making breakfast for her two daughters, and dropping them off at her sister n' law's house, she set off to Central Park. She hoped Ross would be on time. Every Saturday, for the past month or so, she had met him at their favorite bench at the park. They would have a picnic and catch up on each other's days. It made her happy to have a little bit more of Ross in her life, yet sad that he still kept his busy schedule.
She sat down on the familiar bench, starting to unpack the picnic basket. Ross walked up behind Rachel and tapped her on the shoulder.
She whipped around, "Oh, honey, you scared me."
"Sorry, Rach, I got here on time, though, didn't I?" Ross said, pleased with himself.
"Yes, you did very well," she replied, grabbing his tie and pulling him in for a tender kiss.
An hour of talking and eating quickly passed by, and it was time for Ross to return to work. However, before he left, Rachel suddenly had an urge to throw a penny into the wishing fountain.
"Honey, I'll be right back," Rachel told him, heading over to the fountain. "Stay right there."
"I will, sweetie," he replied.
She walked up to the white, stone fountain, watching the little children throwing in their coins. Rubbing the smooth coin with her fingers, she thought of a wish: I wish that I can have a better relationship with my husband. I wish that he could realize how much I love him, and how much I miss him. And most importantly, I wish that he will never leave me, that he will always be there, so I can fall into his safe, strong, caring arms.
Rachel tossed the penny into the water, and watched it sink down to the bottom. She turned around to walk over to her husband. But... he wasn't there. The bench was deserted.
She started to worry, her eyes darting to the lemonade stand, then the hot dogs, the fountain, back to the bench. Where did he go? He wouldn't have went back to work without saying goodbye, would he? Then she noticed the paper lying underneath their picnic bench.
Rachel stumbled over to the bench, stooped down, and gently grabbed the letter. It read:
Dear Rachel,
Please don't cry. I never meant to do this to you, and I'll never be able to forgive myself. I just wanted to rid you of the burden that I've been. You've sacrificed everything for me to be happy, for my dreams to come true, but what did I give you in return? A disappointed family. A disappearing relationship. A broken heart. And I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Rach, you could never understand how much I want to be with you, the perfect family, like we've always dreamed. But, I'm just a selfish asshole, and you deserve so much better, SO MUCH better. Take care of the girls, take care of Monica, and most importantly, take care of yourself. I love you more than you'll ever understand, and I hope that you can find someone who'll treat you the way you've always needed to be treated. Rachel, whatever happens, just promise me one thing. Remember me, Rachel Green, remember me.
-Ross
She dropped the letter, and started to cry, uncontrollably, resting her face on the bench. I guess wishes don't always come true, she thought.
Ross and Rachel's SECOND New House
Rachel stared at the picture for what seemed like an hour. It was a wedding picture, of Ross and her, both glowing with happiness. Yet, something bothered her... the fact that things had changed. They were happy newlyweds then... and distant lovers now.
For some reason, she thought things would change when they moved back to New York, but how wrong could she have been? Ross worked just as much as he had in California, and now he had small shifts on weekends too.
Suddenly, she heard the door open behind her. It was Ross. She no longer called him her husband, because we was nothing of the kind. Rachel loved him dearly, and never wanted to lose him, but his selfishness bothered her. She had given up so many things for him to be happy, and instead of repaying her, he had left her with a feeling of despair... almost as if she had been forgotten.
"Hey sweetie," Ross said, taking Rachel into his arms. She kissed him softly on the cheek, and without replying, she walked away.
That's when he figured everything out. He finally took the time to think about Rachel, his family, instead of himself. And he understood the what she had been feeling, the emptiness that was deep inside her heart. He knew what he had to do, but he also knew of all the pain that would result because of it.
A Few Weeks Later
It was a beautiful, Saturday morning; July 15th. Rachel got out of bed, her eyes weary, and was not surprised when she realized her husband wasn't lying next to her.
After taking a shower, getting into some nice clothes, making breakfast for her two daughters, and dropping them off at her sister n' law's house, she set off to Central Park. She hoped Ross would be on time. Every Saturday, for the past month or so, she had met him at their favorite bench at the park. They would have a picnic and catch up on each other's days. It made her happy to have a little bit more of Ross in her life, yet sad that he still kept his busy schedule.
She sat down on the familiar bench, starting to unpack the picnic basket. Ross walked up behind Rachel and tapped her on the shoulder.
She whipped around, "Oh, honey, you scared me."
"Sorry, Rach, I got here on time, though, didn't I?" Ross said, pleased with himself.
"Yes, you did very well," she replied, grabbing his tie and pulling him in for a tender kiss.
An hour of talking and eating quickly passed by, and it was time for Ross to return to work. However, before he left, Rachel suddenly had an urge to throw a penny into the wishing fountain.
"Honey, I'll be right back," Rachel told him, heading over to the fountain. "Stay right there."
"I will, sweetie," he replied.
She walked up to the white, stone fountain, watching the little children throwing in their coins. Rubbing the smooth coin with her fingers, she thought of a wish: I wish that I can have a better relationship with my husband. I wish that he could realize how much I love him, and how much I miss him. And most importantly, I wish that he will never leave me, that he will always be there, so I can fall into his safe, strong, caring arms.
Rachel tossed the penny into the water, and watched it sink down to the bottom. She turned around to walk over to her husband. But... he wasn't there. The bench was deserted.
She started to worry, her eyes darting to the lemonade stand, then the hot dogs, the fountain, back to the bench. Where did he go? He wouldn't have went back to work without saying goodbye, would he? Then she noticed the paper lying underneath their picnic bench.
Rachel stumbled over to the bench, stooped down, and gently grabbed the letter. It read:
Dear Rachel,
Please don't cry. I never meant to do this to you, and I'll never be able to forgive myself. I just wanted to rid you of the burden that I've been. You've sacrificed everything for me to be happy, for my dreams to come true, but what did I give you in return? A disappointed family. A disappearing relationship. A broken heart. And I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Rach, you could never understand how much I want to be with you, the perfect family, like we've always dreamed. But, I'm just a selfish asshole, and you deserve so much better, SO MUCH better. Take care of the girls, take care of Monica, and most importantly, take care of yourself. I love you more than you'll ever understand, and I hope that you can find someone who'll treat you the way you've always needed to be treated. Rachel, whatever happens, just promise me one thing. Remember me, Rachel Green, remember me.
-Ross
She dropped the letter, and started to cry, uncontrollably, resting her face on the bench. I guess wishes don't always come true, she thought.