She sits alone, teasing the hem of
her long, elegant sleeve when a man steps close to her and reaches out a hand
to take hers. Her eyes dart up into his and a smile meets her gaze, soft and
comforting. Reassuring.
A small grin lights up her lips as
she stands and folds herself into his arms. One around her waist, the other
clasping her hand tightly.
A song begins to play in the
background and the room gets completely quiet except for the shuffling of some
children through the crowd.
Tears fill her eyes as the melodies
weave through her head. He kisses her cheek before she rests it on his
shoulder.
“How did this all happen? Us?” she
murmurs as they sway together.
“I don’t know. But I’m glad it
did.”
A small, choked laugh slips out and
she sniffles quietly.
“Look at the stars,” he whispers,
tickling her ear.
A few tears roll and she can't help
the grin that blooms across her face.
“Look how they shine for you.”
“Do they?” she asks gently.
“Yes,” he replies, resting his lips
at her forehead. “And they will shine for you forever.”
“That sounds lovely.”
“Believe me, you are.”
She grins even wider.
“Why did you choose me?”
“I didn’t,” he responds certainly.
At this, she brings her head off
his shoulder and gazes into his eyes with a furrowed brow.
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t say I knew it from the
very beginning, but after we met and started talking, you came to me, as if in
a dream. In my mind it would be more right if I said you were the one who
chose.”
“I feel this is just how it was
meant to happen,” she says.
He chuckles and it warms her
through.
“I agree to that.”
A contented sigh leaves her then
and the close of the song becomes apparent. Her hands begin to shake as a chill
sears through her. She clutches on to him harder in defiance. Fear soaks her
thoughts through.
“It’s almost time to go,” he
murmurs, his tone tinted with sorrow.
“I know,” she chokes out.
“I’m glad I got to see you one last
time. I’ve missed you.”
The tighter she grasps, the weaker
her fingers grow.
“I don’t want to go,” she sobs.
A sad sound tore from his throat,
mingling sickly with a knowing chuckle.
“Oh, my love…you already have.”
The shock barrages her limbs and
the foreign breath in her lungs leaves her completely as the image of him
disappears from her vision.
Her eyes close softly and she falls,
unmoving.
“I’m sorry,” he cries, clawed with
pain, while gripping the edge of the casket. The way he looks upon her pale
face brings others to tears, but he doesn’t care about them. “I should have
been there.”
His knees give out and his mother
rushes to his side, leading him away from his deceased beloved with consoling
words. He doesn’t hear them.
Oh
my love…
I have failed you.
------
Wedding/Funeral. A play on words.
Happy V day, folks.
~Vicki
