I Only See You
My Heart Will Go On
It has been 10 years. Nick was 26 years old now as Lily, the young girl he saved on the Lusitania was 15 years old and attending a prestigious private school. Nick went on to become a doctor as he wanted while Joe and Kevin worked under their father and the two of them would eventually take over the company.
Nick was happy with his life. He lived away from his family, who he still got along with, but his life was finally separate from theirs just as he wanted. He also kept in touch with Julia, his ex-fiance, who eventually married a nice, rich man whom Nick worked with. Julia had two children already and was a house-wife, which was what she wanted to be. Nick was happy to see Julia happy, knowing they wouldn’t be if they ended up together.
It was the 10th anniversary of the Lusitania sinking and there was a party. A party which invited the survivors to get together and reminisce and get back in touch. It was being held around where Nick lived so he thought he would go. His family would be going so it felt right to go as well.
He knew it would be a long shot to see the love of his life there. He kept waiting and waiting for years after that night but after 3 years of aimlessly waiting, Nick gave up and moved on. He dated a fair share of nice women but none seemed to make an impression on him. Lily never liked any of them either; not really, anyways. So for 10 years, it was only Nick and Lily in a household.
“Lily, we are leaving in 10 minutes with or without you,” Nick warned his daughter as he knocked on her door.
“I’ll be ready dad,” Lily said and Nick went downstairs to wait in the living room. His family was sitting in there as well with their cars outside.
“You seem nervous, Nicholas,” Denise pointed out while Nick rubbed his palms on his pants. “It’s only a party.”
“Right,” Nick sighed. “Only a party.”
“You don’t think that—“
Nick interrupted Joe quickly. “No, I don’t think she’ll be there. It’s just--, what if…”
“Don’t get your hopes up again Nicholas,” Kevin Sr. said sternly. “It’s been an entire decade.”
“Time flies, doesn’t it?” Frankie replied. “It doesn’t seem like it’s been 10 years.”
“Agreed,” Joe said. “Some days, I even forget.”
“I never do,” Nick muttered, looking down at his lap. “I never forget.”
Lily finally came down the stairs wearing a floor-length dress and she twirled around, showing it off to her family who awed at the beauty that stood before them. The biggest reminder of the Lusitania for the Jonases was Lily Hale. Having only been 5 years old and now 15, she definitely blossomed before their eyes and just a few years ago, it had been confirmed to Nick that Lily’s parents Elizabeth and Arthur had both died during the sinking. He legally adopted the girl a few months after that and although they were only 11 years apart in age, Nick still felt like a father. He did his best to be as involved in Lily’s life as possible and gave her a normal and loving childhood, unlike the one he was given where he was forced to do things he didn’t want.
The family went into their separate cars and headed to the hotel which the party was being held. A lot of cars and a lot of people seemed to be there. When they all entered, they were surprised to see how many people were actually there. There were a lot of survivors that night but not all lived at that area so seeing that many people surprised Nick and overwhelmed him.
He saw families that his own conversed with during that short trip. It made him a little mad that most of the people here were the ones on the upper class deck but there were who were on the lower levels. He saw that most were women and younger people; seeing as women and children were the firsts to board the boats.
A few hours into the party, Nick found himself sitting at his family’s table. A man just left him after they talked for a few minutes about where each of them were during the final hours. The man was on the 3rd class floor and survived with his daughters. It was his wife who didn’t make it, dying of pneumonia on the boat.
Nick heard so many stories from new people who he shared a connection with. He was not aware of how many people had even more tragic stories than him. People praised him for saving Lily Hale and people watched her dance with several young men on the dance floor. She was graceful and smart and overly popular with the boys, which Nick feared.
At the table, Nick sat with his hand wrapped around a glass of ice tea and his eyes focused on the table. He was a little tired and overwhelmed with the emotions he was facing. But someone tapped his shoulder and he slowly turned around. He was met with a blue dress at eye level but when he looked up, a familiar color of blonde hair caught his eye. Looking at the face, Nick was stunned to see how much that face was the same as the one he kept in his mind. Could it…
“Hello Nicholas,” that same voice said softly.
He stood up extremely slowly, keeping his eyes on the woman he kept dreaming of and couldn’t forget. “Cecilia…” he sighed. He looked for a confirmation, a nod, a yes, an anything.
She smiled and that was it. It was her. She was here. She was alive.
Nick’s arms were wrapped around her in a split-second and finally, he felt complete. He felt Cecilia’s arms come around his torso and she rested her head on his shoulder comfortingly. “I’ve missed you so much,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m so sorry.”
Nick wanted to ask her so many questions but he couldn’t make himself break the moment. So he just kept a tight hold on his first and only love, kissed her softly, and made sure never to let her go again.
Nick was happy with his life. He lived away from his family, who he still got along with, but his life was finally separate from theirs just as he wanted. He also kept in touch with Julia, his ex-fiance, who eventually married a nice, rich man whom Nick worked with. Julia had two children already and was a house-wife, which was what she wanted to be. Nick was happy to see Julia happy, knowing they wouldn’t be if they ended up together.
It was the 10th anniversary of the Lusitania sinking and there was a party. A party which invited the survivors to get together and reminisce and get back in touch. It was being held around where Nick lived so he thought he would go. His family would be going so it felt right to go as well.
He knew it would be a long shot to see the love of his life there. He kept waiting and waiting for years after that night but after 3 years of aimlessly waiting, Nick gave up and moved on. He dated a fair share of nice women but none seemed to make an impression on him. Lily never liked any of them either; not really, anyways. So for 10 years, it was only Nick and Lily in a household.
“Lily, we are leaving in 10 minutes with or without you,” Nick warned his daughter as he knocked on her door.
“I’ll be ready dad,” Lily said and Nick went downstairs to wait in the living room. His family was sitting in there as well with their cars outside.
“You seem nervous, Nicholas,” Denise pointed out while Nick rubbed his palms on his pants. “It’s only a party.”
“Right,” Nick sighed. “Only a party.”
“You don’t think that—“
Nick interrupted Joe quickly. “No, I don’t think she’ll be there. It’s just--, what if…”
“Don’t get your hopes up again Nicholas,” Kevin Sr. said sternly. “It’s been an entire decade.”
“Time flies, doesn’t it?” Frankie replied. “It doesn’t seem like it’s been 10 years.”
“Agreed,” Joe said. “Some days, I even forget.”
“I never do,” Nick muttered, looking down at his lap. “I never forget.”
Lily finally came down the stairs wearing a floor-length dress and she twirled around, showing it off to her family who awed at the beauty that stood before them. The biggest reminder of the Lusitania for the Jonases was Lily Hale. Having only been 5 years old and now 15, she definitely blossomed before their eyes and just a few years ago, it had been confirmed to Nick that Lily’s parents Elizabeth and Arthur had both died during the sinking. He legally adopted the girl a few months after that and although they were only 11 years apart in age, Nick still felt like a father. He did his best to be as involved in Lily’s life as possible and gave her a normal and loving childhood, unlike the one he was given where he was forced to do things he didn’t want.
The family went into their separate cars and headed to the hotel which the party was being held. A lot of cars and a lot of people seemed to be there. When they all entered, they were surprised to see how many people were actually there. There were a lot of survivors that night but not all lived at that area so seeing that many people surprised Nick and overwhelmed him.
He saw families that his own conversed with during that short trip. It made him a little mad that most of the people here were the ones on the upper class deck but there were who were on the lower levels. He saw that most were women and younger people; seeing as women and children were the firsts to board the boats.
A few hours into the party, Nick found himself sitting at his family’s table. A man just left him after they talked for a few minutes about where each of them were during the final hours. The man was on the 3rd class floor and survived with his daughters. It was his wife who didn’t make it, dying of pneumonia on the boat.
Nick heard so many stories from new people who he shared a connection with. He was not aware of how many people had even more tragic stories than him. People praised him for saving Lily Hale and people watched her dance with several young men on the dance floor. She was graceful and smart and overly popular with the boys, which Nick feared.
At the table, Nick sat with his hand wrapped around a glass of ice tea and his eyes focused on the table. He was a little tired and overwhelmed with the emotions he was facing. But someone tapped his shoulder and he slowly turned around. He was met with a blue dress at eye level but when he looked up, a familiar color of blonde hair caught his eye. Looking at the face, Nick was stunned to see how much that face was the same as the one he kept in his mind. Could it…
“Hello Nicholas,” that same voice said softly.
He stood up extremely slowly, keeping his eyes on the woman he kept dreaming of and couldn’t forget. “Cecilia…” he sighed. He looked for a confirmation, a nod, a yes, an anything.
She smiled and that was it. It was her. She was here. She was alive.
Nick’s arms were wrapped around her in a split-second and finally, he felt complete. He felt Cecilia’s arms come around his torso and she rested her head on his shoulder comfortingly. “I’ve missed you so much,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m so sorry.”
Nick wanted to ask her so many questions but he couldn’t make himself break the moment. So he just kept a tight hold on his first and only love, kissed her softly, and made sure never to let her go again.