Chapter 3

Let's Get Lost written by Ken Aurborum Giovanni

Miria sat pensive in her study. Back slouched against the soft curves of her leather arm chair and light Bach playing the background.

"So what? That's it?!" Yelled a much younger Galatea who was on the verge of tears. Something very rare indeed.

"I will come back for you, I promise," Miria pulled the now sobbing Galatea into a tight embrace, "And when I get back, I can finally take you away from here. We'll go somewhere quiet, somewhere you can grow that garden you've always been talking about, and we'll live in a big, beautiful house with rolling hills right in our backyard,"

"I don't want you to comeback in body bag...I don't want to bury you...and I sure as hell don't want the pity payment from the government to be all I can show for our time together, Miria!" Galatea wiped her eyes. She was frustrated because she never cried in front of anybody, she was angry because some power she had no control of was stripping her of the only joy she knew, and she was scared because it had always been her and Miria against the world. Now the world seemed much more cruel and much more unbearable.

"You can't just let your life stand still because I wont be there for a while...you need to live, Galatea...I'm one person, my love...your life is worth so much more than what I can give. You need to grow, you need to progress, and if need be, you must move on...but remember one thing if any: I loved you the moment I laid eyes on you, I loved you when we fought, I love you now, and I will never stop loving you...So when I return, I don't expect to find the same Gala I left, I expect to find a wonderful young woman who lives her life to the fullest and lets nothing bring her down...and who knows, I may fall in love all over again," Miria smiled and blinked away her tears. Taking solace in the fact Galatea had just laughed at one of her jokes.

"When you return, I expect a country estate, a garden, rolling hills, and the woman I fell in love with, in one piece and not riddled with bullet holes," Galatea smiled and rested her head in the crook of Miria's neck.

They stayed like that for what seemed to be an eternity, absorbing one another's presence, savoring it and every detail, for neither knew when they would see eachother again. It truly was heartbreaking moment when the train pulled up to the platform and uttered a loud whistle, signalling all drafted recruits to board.

"Goodbye, Gala. I'm-" Galatea cut Miria off mid-sentence with a kiss, long and passionate but cut short all the same.

Galatea turned her heels and walked away, leaving Miria to wipe away the last of her tears and to pick up her duffle bag.

Miria boarded the train and took the first empty seat she could find. She rest her head against the window and closed her eyes.

Back in her study, Miria wiped away a single tear and let out a ragged breath. She leaned forward and reached for her drawer. Inside she took the bottom of the drawer off to reveal a small nook where a brass paisley lighter sat in line with a neat row of cigarettes. She placed a glass ashtray on her desk and a box of matches. Miria reached for the cigarette on her far right and tuck the filtered end between her lips. She carefully replaced the bottom of the drawer and closed it.

"Miria? Are you okay?" Miria froze midway, reaching for the box of matches, "I'm coming in!" Galatea said through the door.

Miria hastily hid the cigarette underneath a stack of papers on her desk.

"Are you alright, my love?" Galatea asked, smiling softly as she walked over to Miria, taking a seat in her lap.

"Just peachy…" Miria heaved a heavy sigh and wrapped her arms tightly around Galatea's waist.

"Clearly not peachy enough…" Galatea said, eyeing the matchbox and ashtray.

"I didn't even smoke one yet.." Miria said, face buried in Galatea's hair.

Galatea sifted through the papers on the desk until she found the cigarette underneath a stack.

"You shouldn't smoke," Galatea put the cigarette in her mouth and reached for the matchbox.

"Says the closet alcoholic…" Miria grumbled, face still buried in Galatea's long hair.

Galatea took a match out and struck it against the side of the box. She lit the cigarette and took the first drag. After exhaling she took it from her mouth and leaned back, gently placing it between Miria's lips, now having emerged from the sea of soft, blonde, hair.

"Enabler…" Miria's whisper into Galatea's ear after resting the cigarette on the ashtray.

"Instigator," Galatea replied, kissing Miria on the lips, " You taste terrible, by the way,"

"So do you, love," Miria said with a small chuckle.

"So...pray-tell...what were you thinking about?" Galatea asked, retrieving the cigarette from the ashtray and taking another drag.

Miria took the cigarette from Galatea and took a drag as well, slowly exhaling into the opened window.

"The day I left for basic training, at the train station. I remembered how beautiful you looked...white sun dress and hair let down...a smile that would make narcissus green with envy...I also remembered how terrible it felt to see you cry...It broke me to pieces then and remembering that look now, it shatters me all the same," Miria took one last drag and extinguished the cigarette.

"Silly Miri…" Galatea gave Miria a peck on the cheek and a flick on the nose.

"Hey! What was that for!?" Miria yelped.

Galatea turned around to straddle Miria,"You came back, by hook or by crook, you came back to me. You gave me a beautiful house, I have a garden to my own, and I look out every balcony and all I see are rolling hills. All that's missing is a little girl running around the house calling us mommy, but that's still up for debate...I was a bit selfish, you know? All I wanted was for you to stay with me, but looking back at it now, you wouldn't have been able to grow and flourish...I was denying you what you so selflessly offered me and I felt like a terrible girlfriend for the longest time," She pressed her forehead against Miria's and gazed into her eyes, lost in the striking storm of grey.

They kissed, much like how they kissed on that day in train station. Except this time the eternity wasn't interrupted by cold beckoning of duty, this time there were no tears of sadness shed, from the moment Miria came back they would be inseparable.

"I believe I need a bath, would you like to join me?" Galatea said breathily, having just broken the kiss.

"I'd love too," Miria replied with a chaste kiss, afterwards, lifting Galatea bridal style.

"I shall draw the bath," Miria said, carrying Galatea to the master bath.

Ladies and Gentleman, long time no see! I truly miss writing GalaMiri and hope you'll all accept me back into the fandom with open arms after my indefinite hiatus. This chapter was inspired by Chet Baker's Let's Get lost. He was one of the early crooners of jazz and his voice was just something else entirely. Not as bombastic as Sinatra's nor as deliberate as Bing Crosby's but something all his own. Also I'd like to dedicate this chapter to a friend of mine, Anne E. Casap, who has been nothing but supportive of my creative writing endeavors. Anne also informed me that she will be joining the United States Armed Forces as a Sailor in our Navy.

To Anne: Words cannot begin to express my gratitude for your company and conversation, for your service and sacrifice, for your wits, woes, and well-doings. I wish you nothing but the best in your future, weather you follow through with your plans to join the Navy, weather you choose to help the world with your writing, or brighten people's days through some other means. I guess what I'm trying to say is kickass and take names.

Your friend,

JF