He helped her with the groceries and she thanked him softly, her eyes avoiding his face one moment and the next staring at it because it'd been years. And for those years she'd been dreaming of his moment, the first time she'd see him after waiting for so long. This was not the way it was supposed to happen. He was supposed to pick her up and swirl her around, kiss her a hundred times, tell her he loved her, and kiss her a hundred more. And then he was supposed to ask her to marry him, right then and there. That had been her dream. And now, she was living something closer to a nightmare.
He handed her his handkerchief and this time she had to take it. But when he offered to take her basket, she shook her head. "You have your bag, it has to be heavy. I can manage but thank you." God, the words sounded so ordinary to her, like words she'd speak to a stranger. And that's what he basically was, wasn't he? He wasn't in any hurry because he couldn't remember that he was supposed to be rushing home to see her. She patted her cheeks dry, a few more fresh tears slipping down her cheeks before she managed to stop them.
What am I going to do? How can I fix this? Help him.
She felt completely helpless and more lonely than she felt the whole of the war as she stood up straight and took a deep breath. "I'm alright." She said it as much for her own benefit as his even if it wasn't true. Not one bit. And with that she started them down the sidewalk. She was quiet for a moment before she started to ramble. Telling him his parents names, the names of his siblings. Only stopping to point a spot where he'd fallen once when he was about thirteen and hurt himself and tried to steal a kiss from her but she pushed him down. And then she pointed out the tree that used to be their 'base' for hide and seek, quietly, sadly regaling him of childhood memories until they came to a tree three houses down from his house. "This is where we first kissed. We were on our third date and you told me you were leaving for the war... " Her face fell some, fresh tears welling up in her eyes as she managed to choke out the last part. "And I couldn't let you go to war without having kissed you. So I kissed you right then and there."
/sob But Summer's window does I could see her asking the Leckie's for theirs
He handed her his handkerchief and this time she had to take it. But when he offered to take her basket, she shook her head. "You have your bag, it has to be heavy. I can manage but thank you." God, the words sounded so ordinary to her, like words she'd speak to a stranger. And that's what he basically was, wasn't he? He wasn't in any hurry because he couldn't remember that he was supposed to be rushing home to see her. She patted her cheeks dry, a few more fresh tears slipping down her cheeks before she managed to stop them.
What am I going to do? How can I fix this? Help him.
She felt completely helpless and more lonely than she felt the whole of the war as she stood up straight and took a deep breath. "I'm alright." She said it as much for her own benefit as his even if it wasn't true. Not one bit. And with that she started them down the sidewalk. She was quiet for a moment before she started to ramble. Telling him his parents names, the names of his siblings. Only stopping to point a spot where he'd fallen once when he was about thirteen and hurt himself and tried to steal a kiss from her but she pushed him down. And then she pointed out the tree that used to be their 'base' for hide and seek, quietly, sadly regaling him of childhood memories until they came to a tree three houses down from his house. "This is where we first kissed. We were on our third date and you told me you were leaving for the war... " Her face fell some, fresh tears welling up in her eyes as she managed to choke out the last part. "And I couldn't let you go to war without having kissed you. So I kissed you right then and there."