Sitting next to the window, I stared out at the new fallen snow. It had blanketed the ground like a fluffy down comforter and the brilliant sun was making it sparkle and glisten like ground diamonds. Ordinarily, I would find it quite beautiful, but today was no ordinary day—today was the day he was leaving.
Resting my forehead against the cold glass, I let loose a heavy sigh. My warm breath fogged the pane, and I traced his name into the condensation. It faded quickly, unlike the ache in my heart, which was only growing with each passing minute.
Tears welled up in my eyes and I bit my lip to stop from crying out loud. I looked down at the silver Claddagh band on the ring finger of my right hand. Touching it lovingly, I thought back to the night he had given it to me.
"It's a traditional Irish ring, given as a token of love," he'd said quietly, as we lay naked and entwined in his bed. "Two hands to represent friendship, the crown to signify loyalty and lasting fidelity, and the sign of the heart to symbolize eternal love for each other." After sliding it on my finger, he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me deeply. "I love you, Bella," he'd whispered before rolling me onto my back and covering my body with his. We made love, and it was slow and sweet and full of tender passion.
I shook my head clear of that image, because at this moment, it was too painful to dwell on. The grief was welling up in my throat, threatening to choke me. I reached up to my neck and swallowed hard, trying to force the lump back down into my stomach, where the acid would eat away at it and dissolve it.
But the pain won out, and I folded into myself, my body convulsing from the sobs. I fell to the floor and curled into a fetal position, rocking back and forth, feeling as if I would crumble if I stretched out.
I must have fallen asleep in that position, because when I woke, the room was dark, save for the sliver of moonlight that was filtering through the window. Pulling myself up, I rested my chin on the window sill and gazed up at the black sky.
His plane would be up in that sky right now, I thought.
Was he asleep right now? Was he thinking of me, as I was of him at this very moment? The thought comforted me, so I closed my eyes and pictured his face, tracing its contours in my mind.
"Bella," he said.
"Edward," I sighed. His voice seemed so very real.
"Bella," he said again, louder.
Something inside me snapped and my head shot up from the sill. My breath caught in my throat and I slowly turned away from the window.
Edward.
Edward was standing in my doorway, bags in hand, breathing hard.
I couldn't move.
"I must be dreaming," I said aloud. "You're not really here, you're supposed to be up there right now," I pointed out the window, up to the sky. "I… I don't understand…" I stopped, placing my hand over my mouth.
Edward dropped his bags and rushed to me. Dropping down on his knees, he cupped my face in his hands and gazed into my eyes.
"I couldn't do it, Bella. I couldn't leave you," he said. "I was almost ready to board and I had such an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach and I knew where I really needed to be and it sure as hell wasn't on that plane."
His eyes were moist with tears and I reached out and wrapped him in my arms and he was here, he was really here. We held each other for the longest time, rocking back and forth, whispering words of consolation and love.
"Never again, Bella. Never again," he whispered in my ear, pulling me down with him onto the floor. We lay there the rest of the night, caressing and loving each other, knowing that our love would be as constant as the stars and the moon shining in the night sky above