Flora kicked off, pushing the swing back and letting it go until what little momentum she'd provided ended. She stayed on the swing, watching the house across the street, until her mother called for lunch close to an hour later. She dragged herself to the table and ate her sandwich silently while her sister and mother prattled on about something or other. How they could find the heart for such meaningless chatter was beyond her, not when the world was falling apart.

He was two years older than her – eighteen to her sixteen – but he didn't treat her like a child the way everyone else seemed to. He was tall, with dark hair and stormy eyes that made her feel like she was in a dream. Her family had moved in across from his when she was three and they'd grown up together. She'd been in love with him for as long as she could remember. He was smart and creative and calm and kind. He always knew how to make her smile. And a week ago, Helia had been drafted.

The only reason she'd found out was that she was outside yesterday, watering the garden and watching her sister play while her mother prepared supper, when he'd gotten home in full uniform. Flora had dropped the watering can when she'd seen him. She must have also made some noise because Helia looked over at her. The words blurred in her mind as he explained that he had just been to the military office and was set to ship out tomorrow – much earlier than he'd thought he would. Flora had barely managed to keep it together the time he walked back to his house, but the minute his door closed, she ran into her own home and up the stairs, barely containing her tears.

So there she sat, shoving bits of sandwich into her mouth without much thought, staring blankly out of the window. Across the street, Helia hugged his grandparents goodbye and got into the waiting cab. He had invited her to the goodbye lunch his family was having before he reported for duty, but she couldn't bear the idea of saying goodbye to him, so she hadn't gone.

It was only as the cab pulled away that she realised what a mistake that had been. She had to say goodbye to him.

Flora dropped the rest of the sandwich and bolted up to her room. The wooden chair knocked over as she jumped up and her mother scolded her, but she paid mind to neither. She grabbed the phone off the hook and called for a cab. While she waited, she threw on her best day dress and touched up her hair.

"Flora, honey? Did you call for a taxi?" Her mother's voice called up the stairs some few minutes later.

As a last-minute thought, Flora grabbed the picture of herself and her sister from the frame on her desk. She cut her sister out. Then she grabbed her pen and stationery set, her wallet where she hopefully had enough spare change to pay for the cab and ran out the door.

"Where are you going?" Her mother called after her, but Flora was too far and too rushed to answer.

It was only when the driver asked where she was going that she realised she had no clue where Helia had gone. Defeated, she apologised to the man. Tears pooled in her eyes as she went to exit. "Draft day?" he asked, his low voice swimming with compassion.

"You ain't the first heartbroken woman I've driven to say goodbye today" he explained at her questioning expression. "I know where you have to go."

They drove in silence. Flora took the time to write a letter. If she didn't get there in time to say goodbye; to say the words she'd longed to tell him for years, she would ask someone where she could write him. She couldn't lose him without him knowing how she felt.

Mercifully, she had enough for the cab. Even more merciful was that, after running through the crowd a bit, she saw him. He was preparing to board the train, but turned towards her when she called out to him. He dropped his bag and ran over to her, a sad smile on his lips. "I didn't think I was going to get to see you" he told her.

Flora returned his sad smile. His beautiful long, dark hair had been cut short, accentuating the sharpness of his features. Still, he was the most beautiful person she'd ever laid eyes on.

"I'm sorry, I... Here" she replied, holding out the envelope. She'd written him the most beautiful confession she could with what little time she had and shoved it into the envelope alongside the picture of her – formerly of her and her sister. Helia looked at it and took the envelope from her hands. He turned it over in his hands, smiling at the little heart she'd drawn beside his name.

She had planned to just tell him, blurt out the words I love you but she lost her nerve when he looked at her. Flora debated saying goodbye and walking away, but then he did something she hadn't considered in any of the scenarios that had played out in her mind. She stayed fixed in place watching in horror as Helia opened the envelope and pulled out her letter. He smiled at the photo and replaced it in the envelope before turning his attention to the words she'd written.

How mortifying she thought as she watched with bated breath. Helia's stormy eyes moved over her words, brows furrowing at some parts. Besides the occasional furrowing, his expression was unreadable. When he finally looked at her, Flora begged for the ground to swallow her whole. He looked at her so softly, so delicately that she knew... she knew.

He didn't feel the same.

And she'd just made a fool of herself. She should've kept her stupid feelings to herself. Of course he didn't reciprocate. Helia was smart, creative, mature and she was just a girl; there was nothing remarkable about her – nothing to capture such a magnificent man.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked, his voice barely audible in the crowded station. Helia stepped closer to her. Flora's breath caught in her chest as he reached for her hand. She felt his skin on hers, his thumb caress the top of her hand; saw his eyes flicker down to their entwined hands and back up to hers, but it took her brain much longer than it should have to register what was happening.

"I-I...Y-you..."

"Love you, yes. I have for..."

She moved closer as her brain finally caught up, though it still felt like it was in a fog; like she was in a dream. Oh, please don't let this be a dream she begged of the universe and every god that had ever been or would be. She would die if this was nothing more than a dream; if she woke to learn that he had never loved her like she longed for him to.

"...years" he finished, his voice barely above a whisper as she got closer. She could feel his warmth as his hand dropped hers and his arms wrapped around her. So many days and nights, she'd dreamed of his arms around her and now that they were there... he was leaving. The realisation hit her suddenly and she couldn't help the tears that sprung to her eyes. After years of longing and dreaming, he was hers just in time for her to lose him.

"Oh, my Flora. Please don't cry" he whispered, reaching up to wipe the tears that had started to slide their way down her cheeks. "Let me remember you with that beautiful smile. I so love your smile."

And because she wanted nothing more than to make him happy, she found a way to smile. She told herself that he would be back sooner than she expected; that they could be together. They would go to the drive in and kiss like all the lovers did. He would be her date to senior prom and then they'd go out for burgers afterwards. They'd take walks by the lake and he'd listen to her ramble on about some plant or other, and then they would sit and have a picnic. He would draw for her – maybe he would draw her. They would be happy.

They just had to get past the war first.

"I love you, Helia" she told him, leaning in so that only he would hear. Those words for his ears only; it was their little secret. One that she would keep close to her heart when he was away; that he could replay in his mind when he missed home – missed her - too much.

"I love you too."

Somewhere behind him, a man yelled at the recruits that it was time to board the train. She held back the tears this time. Helia deserved to leave with the happy memory – god knew he would need it. He started to step away, but she held him back. She wasn't leaving it like this.

Flora pushed up onto her toes. She used her free hand – the one that wasn't holding his – to wrap around his shoulders and pull him into her. Warmth flooded her body as their lips met sending her mind reeling in the most breathtaking of spins. His kiss was everything she'd dreamed of and more. If she could force this moment to last forever, she would.

But sooner than she'd like, the moment was over and he had to go. With a promise to write as much as he could, Helia started to step away again. This time, there was nothing she could do but let him go.

"I'll be here" she promised. A sad smile touched his lips, and she returned it with the most loving and optimistic one she could. Flora watched, refusing to break until he was out of sight, as the man she loved walked onto the train that would bring him to terrors she couldn't imagine.

"I'll be here" she repeated to no one in particular as the train took off, taking her heart with it.