A love never spoken of

Arm in arm they walked down the long dark road. This would be their last night together forever. He was leaving her to go back home, and although he said they’d stay in touch, she knew differently. During their brief but incredible time together she had come to know him well enough that she realised as soon as he got home, he’d probably never think of her again. From her point of view however, she would think of him so often, that he would hardly vacate her mind.

They had met one night, by complete chance. He just happened to come over and talk to her, and she just happened to talk back. It didn’t happen much to either of them…they just clicked. From that night onwards, they had been inseparable, spending all day, everyday with each other. Getting to know each other so they could read one another like an open book. Finishing sentences that had hardly begun, answering questions that hadn’t quite been asked, and just by looking into each other’s eyes, they could read exactly what was going through their mind. This type of connection was so rare that neither of them wanted to give it up. However, he had to go back home. It was the end of the summer, and their affair had to end. He had taken her out for a romantic meal and then a walk along a moonlit beach before heading back to their special spot underneath the weeping willow tree. The road before them was dark and winding, "Just like my future" she thought. Not knowing what was going to happen to her without him in her life was the worst part about it. They wound their way through the small wood until they reached that spot where they had spent so much of their time together. As they sat down, he presented her with a beautiful silver necklace; it was comprised of tiny silver roses linked together with the most intricate of chain. She immediately knew the reason behind this particular choice, because she had told him months ago, when they first met that she had never been given a bunch of roses. This was infinitely better that a bunch of flowers, as she would have to watch them wither and die, whereas this would stay with her forever. He put it around her neck and smiled as he looked at her, this would be the picture he carried with him in his mind, for she was wrong about him. He would think about her, maybe not as much as she thought of him, but he would look back at the summer and remember the most wonderful summer of his life. He had met the one person around whom he could be himself; he didn’t have to hide any longer, as she knew him inside out.

They spent the night looking at the stars as they followed their silent trail across the heavens, and when the morning light began to break they headed back for the last time. When everything was packed up and he was ready to go, he looked her in the eye and told her for the first and last time that he loved her, truly madly deeply loved her as he would love no other. As his car pulled out, she stood in the road and cried as if her heart had imploded in her chest. Then she felt for the roses around her neck and knew that, even if he never did think of her again, she had become a different, better person because of him, and would remain so from that summer onwards. She only wished she could have thanked him for making her this way, but she never found the words to say it.

They never saw each other again, or even spoke. It was too painful for either of them at that time. But who knows what the future has to bring…if it was truly meant to be then their paths will cross one more time and maybe even intertwine forever more.