She sat there gazing outside the window with a distant look on her face. She was to board her flight in the next two hours. The cup of warm coffee in her hands had started to get cold, but unlike any other day, she wasn't bothered. She watched the trains go to and fro from the subway that was right across the cafe where she sat waiting for the dreaded moment. Time was tricking fast, and soon she would have to leave for the airport.
Suddenly, she feels a warm hand brush her face. She looks up and sees him, staring at her face with a gawky smile. Ah that smile! That beautiful, beautiful smile- it broke her heart into a hundred little pieces like shards of glass, for she could see the pain through his eyes.
It was all very new to her- being looked at with so much love. She knew that she'd found in him her own little happy place, a place that her heart had longed for, for a long, long time. He took her hand in his, and played with her fingers- silently watching the bustle of the city outside the window. They sat like that for a long time, his arms wrapped around hers, and her head on his shoulders. The sun was setting low behind the buildings, and the time to say goodbye was approaching quickly.
"The ride back home is going to be hard," he joked nervously.
"Think about how I'd feel sitting all alone at the airport," she murmured softly.
He turned towards her and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Listen to me now," he said, "It's going to be hard- being away from each other. But all I want you to know is that what we have is something extraordinary, and nothing can break us apart, not even the distance. Our love is strong. We both know how lucky we are to have each other in our lives. I love you, and I will miss you every day till the day I get to see you again. When I sleep, I will meet you in my dreams, and when I wake up, I will greet you in my memories. It's not going to be easy, but we'll work our way through it. And I want to do that because I want you in my life. I've never been so sure about anything else, and I want you to remember that. Always. And besides, distance means so little when someone means so much. And love has no limits; it will travel as far as you let it. So my dear girl, our journey together has just begun. Hold on tight, and enjoy the ride baby. Because we both know that no matter what, it will all be worth it."
As she embarrassingly tried to wipe away the tears from her face, he pulled her into a tight hug. She knew it then that it was this memory that she would hold on to for all the lonely nights that awaited her. She wanted to say so many things, but she knew she didn't have to. He knew. So she hugged him as tight as she could, preserving every bit of the moment in her memory.
The sun had set behind the buildings. It was time to go. Slowly, they let go of each other. She smiled at him. He kissed her softly on her lips.
With hands intertwined, they walked silently towards the car.
True, it's going to be hard. But she knew that years from now, the past will be a story- a story of long days, and lonely nights, hard work and lack of sleep. They would live each day having intimately known the pain of being apart. They would appreciate and embrace their time together, knowing how lucky they were to have made it through. And they will find solace in the promise of a future together.
Because in the end, it will be worth it.
