I paced back and forth waiting for Christine to come. I had no idea
when she would arrive, I just knew she would. I sat down on the divan and
dropped my head into my hands. Lost in my own thoughts, I didn't know I
wasn't alone until I felt someone sit down next to me. I looked up and saw
Christine. I smiled.
"Welcome back," I said and leaned in to kiss her. When I did, she didn't return the kiss, only sat still and accepted it. My heart sunk down to my stomach and my throat threatened to close. "Christine what is it?" She closed her eyes tightly and a single tear fell onto her hands. I looked down and saw a paper clasped tightly in them. "Oh God," I whispered and stood up.
"Erik I'm sorry," I heard her say as though from a great distance. "Erik? Erik please look at me." I tried to look at her, I really did, but I couldn't. I couldn't look at the woman I loved more than anything. She had done what I had told her to do and was doing what she thought was best for her, yet I couldn't face her.
I took a deep breath and turned around. "You have something for me?" I asked.
She took a few tentative steps towards me and held out the paper she had held in her hands. I took it quickly and glanced at it. Scrawled on the paper were a date, a time, and directions to a chapel about 50 miles south of Paris. "I'll be there," I said more weakly than I had hoped to sound. She came towards me again and tried to hug me. I stepped away from her and turned my head. "You should go. Your fiancé will be waiting for you."
"Erik I-"
"Christine, I said you should do what you thought was right. You have done that, and I am happy for you. Right now though you need to return to your home," I said. She nodded in agreement but her eyes betrayed her. They were filled with tears and longing. "I will see you at your wedding Christine." I turned and walked into my bedroom. I fell onto the bed and wept. I had always known that she would leave; I had just hoped that maybe, by some miracle, she would decide to stay with me. I cried until I fell asleep hoping I wouldn't wake up.
"Welcome back," I said and leaned in to kiss her. When I did, she didn't return the kiss, only sat still and accepted it. My heart sunk down to my stomach and my throat threatened to close. "Christine what is it?" She closed her eyes tightly and a single tear fell onto her hands. I looked down and saw a paper clasped tightly in them. "Oh God," I whispered and stood up.
"Erik I'm sorry," I heard her say as though from a great distance. "Erik? Erik please look at me." I tried to look at her, I really did, but I couldn't. I couldn't look at the woman I loved more than anything. She had done what I had told her to do and was doing what she thought was best for her, yet I couldn't face her.
I took a deep breath and turned around. "You have something for me?" I asked.
She took a few tentative steps towards me and held out the paper she had held in her hands. I took it quickly and glanced at it. Scrawled on the paper were a date, a time, and directions to a chapel about 50 miles south of Paris. "I'll be there," I said more weakly than I had hoped to sound. She came towards me again and tried to hug me. I stepped away from her and turned my head. "You should go. Your fiancé will be waiting for you."
"Erik I-"
"Christine, I said you should do what you thought was right. You have done that, and I am happy for you. Right now though you need to return to your home," I said. She nodded in agreement but her eyes betrayed her. They were filled with tears and longing. "I will see you at your wedding Christine." I turned and walked into my bedroom. I fell onto the bed and wept. I had always known that she would leave; I had just hoped that maybe, by some miracle, she would decide to stay with me. I cried until I fell asleep hoping I wouldn't wake up.