"The Way We Were" – Barbara Streisand

Chapter 4

As Ej headed to the airport, visions of Sami still fresh in his mind, he looked out at the airstrip and knew he was doing the right thing. Everything he ever wanted was back in Salem but now she no longer wanted him and all he did was cause her misery.

"I'll miss you, but I know now this is truly for the best." He said and boarded the plane, just hoping that he was really doing the right thing. As he looked out at the city, the only place that ever felt like home, he couldn't help but have a flood of memories between him and Sami.

MEMORIES,

LIKE THE CORNERS OF MY MIND

MISTY WATER-COLORED MEMORIES

OF THE WAY WE WERE

When Sami and Ej met, there was an instant attraction, not just because she seen him in all his glory when he dropped his towel, but when the door opened and she heard his accent. Sami always told him that he had her at hello. For some reason she could never get enough of talking to him, his soothing words that could always put her racing mind to rest.

SCATTERED PICTURES,

OF THE SMILES WE LEFT BEHIND

SMILES WE GAVE TO ONE ANOTHER

FOR THE WAY WE WERE

As he smiled, remembering what he once was to her, her best friend and the man she said loved her like no other, he couldn't help but pull out her picture one last time. Inside his wallet, always tucked behind his credit cards was her face, shining blue eyes and hair of gold. The women that he knew would always be able to control him, and make him someone to be respected not feared.

CAN IT BE THAT IT WAS ALL SO SIMPLE THEN?

OR HAS TIME RE-WRITTEN EVERY LINE?

IF WE HAD THE CHANCE TO DO IT ALL AGAIN

TELL ME, WOULD WE? COULD WE?

Sami and Ej tangoed on the pier just a little over a year before tonight, moving their bodies with one another not mentioning where. There was always an unspoken understanding that they had, one that couldn't be duplicated or understood by anyone but them. That was part of the reason he loved her so much, talking wasn't always necessary and for a man with secrets, this was a blessing.

"Ej, I can't believe we won that contest. I mean I have never done this before."

"Tango isn't about the moves Samantha. It's about the people and the passion they have when they move." He could still remember everything about that night, the way her hair smelled like perfume, her eyes had that sparkle that only moonlight could bring out. Even her returning home with Austin where he could hear them in bed together and just wish that it would one day be him.

MEMORIES, MAY BE BEAUTIFUL AND YET

WHAT'S TOO PAINFUL TO REMEMBER

WE SIMPLY CHOOSE TO FORGET

Not one memory about the wedding, or a fight ever came to his mind then. He wanted to leave the same way he came, happy. Or right now, as happy as he knew he could ever be. Yes leaving Sami behind was the hardest thing he would ever do, but if it made her happy he would do it. Walking through fire was nothing knew for him, falling for Sami was just that, playing with fire.

SO IT'S THE LAUGHTER

WE WILL REMEMBER

WHEN WE REMEMBER…

"Samantha, where are you going?" he called from the bedroom, seeing her headed to the kitchen still wearing his shirt.

"I figured you could use a drink, I know that I can." She said and laughed as she opened the fridge, only to have him grabbing her from behind as she bent over.

"Well ya, but I'd rather have you instead." He said and before they could even close the fridge, he had her up in his arms and carrying her back to the bedroom. That was probably one of his favorite memories, locking themselves in her apartment, the morning after he proposed at Chez Rouge, got down on his knee and asked her to take him in mind, body and soul. Be his for all the days of their lives, not even death couldn't separate them because they would just unite on the other side.

As the plane got ready to take off, Ej knew that it was too late to turn back now. As the runway lights went full blast he could only see the sky ahead, the moonshining and a tower he would soon be passing. He never even looked over at the airport terminal, or the window Samantha was beating on, just hoping for him to turn around and see her, come back to her.

THE WAY WE WERE

THE WAY WE WERE