Till we meet again
the re-union
Her vision is blurred by tears. Standing perfectly still, she stares straight ahead. Knowing she must look down, she sighs deep and heavy. The tears spill down her cheeks and onto her silk blouse.
Slowly, she lowers her head, afraid of the inevitable. She sees him for the first time since "that day" and her heart aches as if it's truly broken into tiny fragments. She looks at his eyes, shut for the rest of eternity. Those brown eyes that used to look into hers. Those brown eyes that twinkled when he laughed. Those brown eyes that used to say I love you.
Her gaze drifts down to his mouth, closed for the rest of eternity. The mouth that spoke of the future. The mouth that spoke of hopes and dreams. The mouth that kissed her so tenderly. The mouth that used to say I love you.
She stares at his hands, now crossed over his heart. The hands that toiled every single day. The hands that held their children's. The hands that used to hold hers. The hands that touched her and in that touch said I love you.
She reaches out and touches him. Her hands gently move over his.
She bends over and gently kisses his lips, then gently kisses his forehead.
She sweeps her hand across his forehead, like she's done a million times before. She says I love you, and silently walks away.
In the beginning she drifts through her days, her mind in a constant fog. Nothing is real to her anymore. Her love is gone and gone with him is her soul. But they say that time heals all wounds and to a certain extent, it is true .Life goes on. She thinks of him everyday, but the pain has eased. The fog slowly lifts and she begins to live life again. The years pass. She raises her children, sells her home and buys a smaller place. She creates a beautiful garden and lovingly works the soil and watches her flowers grow. The garden gives her peace and in this peace she finds happiness. Grandchildren are born and then great-grandchildren. Her life has meaning. She sees his pictures all around the rooms of her home and they no longer bring her pain, but the loneliness is still there. Decades have passed now and she hardly believes it's been that long. She still loves him. She always will. She speaks to him about her hopes and dreams. She knows he can hear her and it gives her comfort. She looks in the mirror; an old woman looks back. She shakes her head in disbelief.
She wonders if he would recognize her after all these years. She was young when he left but the years have changed her. Twenty-five years is a long time.
Her final sleep has come and she is in peace. She glides through the heavens and sees nothing but beauty all around her. Someone enters her field of vision and as she gets closer she sees him. He's smiling that crooked smile that she remembers so well, and his eyes are twinkling. He is exactly the same, as if frozen in time. Happiness wells up inside of her and she swirls quickly toward him. He holds out his hands and wraps her in his arms. She falls in love all over again.
"How did you recognize me?" she whispers.
" You look exactly the same."
"But it's been so long and I've aged so much, how can that be?" she whispers.
"You are as I remember you."
She looks into his eyes, open for eternity. They say I love you.
She looks at his mouth, open for eternity. He kisses her gently and says I love you.
She takes his hands in hers. His touch says I love you...
for eternity.
