Finality
There he was. The silhouette she knew she would have been able to identify from any distance was only 50 yards away. As she saw him standing there, she wondered what exactly it was that had brought her life to this point. Too many years she had been on her own now, wondering why she had made the wrong choice all that time ago. He had been the love of her life, the source of her greatest joy and her greatest pain. It had seemed like the mature decision at the time, but in retrospect it was merely the ‘safe’ choice.
With her hands thrust deep into her jacket pockets, she nibbled on her lower lip in consternation. He hadn’t yet noticed her standing in the building’s shadow. Should she go to him? As her inner battle raged, he turned his head as though seeking something, or maybe someone. A shaft of light filtered through the trees illuminating the strong masculine features of his face. Her breath caught in her throat.
Wetting her trembling lips, she took a step in his direction, her decision made. A small smile graced her face as she started his way. Since her eyes were locked on her target, she saw the moment his expression changed. His face lit up in joy, but he wasn’t looking at her. Her steps faltered as her confidence fled.
She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked around to see what had captured his attention. A small boy was running towards him. He squatted down and swept the child up in his strong arms, hugging him tightly. Her heart wrenched as she noted he had passed his strong features onto this delightful child. She loved the boy on sight because the child was a part of him, yet was saddened because he was not hers.
As though he had suddenly sensed her presence, he looked up over his son’s head, and straight into her eyes. The warmth in them made her knees go weak. Just as she had been gifted the courage to start towards him again, she heard a feminine voice call his name. They both turned towards the noise.
A woman of striking beauty walked up to the father and son. Placing a hand on the boy’s back she kissed his sweet little cheek, and then turned to place a loving kiss upon the man’s lips. She laughed at something the child said to her, her head tipped slightly back, emphasizing the graceful curve of her neck. The woman locked arms with the man and then they turned to walk away.
She stood frozen to the spot, her heart caught in her throat. He had a life now, and he was walking away towards it while she still stood immersed in the past. How was her heart breaking again when it hadn’t ever healed to begin with? She wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered slightly, the temperature in the shade suddenly feeling much cooler.
Right before the trio ahead of her turned the corner around the row of buildings, he looked back at her over his shoulder. Their eyes met and locked again. This time, both sets of eyes were filled with sadness. He nodded almost imperceptibly at her, and she lifted one hand slightly in acknowledgement. And then he disappeared from her sight. He disappeared from her life for what had the promise of being the final time.