Apologize

Tane,

I know what you did. I don’t know why you did it, nor do I understand why you tried to hide it from me. Don’t you know that you could’ve trusted me with anything? I tried everything in order to get you to tell me, without actually telling you that I knew. You had plenty of chances.
Yes, I did love you. I might still love you, I don’t know. You were wonderful, Tane, I knew that I would have been able to spend the rest of my life with you. But you went and messed it up. I can’t go through my entire life trying to explain to myself, and others, why I’m still with you. It’s too hard.
I’m sorry, Tane. But move on. You’ll get over me, and I’ll get over you. In fact, as I’m writing this, I think I really am getting over you.

Ada

Tane dropped the letter back onto the table from where he had picked it up. He couldn’t believe it. Ada would have had to have written this right before she left for work. Tane ran for the door. He ran down the steps of his apartment building blindly.

He searched the crowded New York City streets rapidly, looking for her black hair that had a tinge of red in it. He spotted her a block away, waiting at a streetlight to cross. Tane ran down the street, shoving people out of his way. The cross symbol turned to the walking man right as he reached her. She didn’t notice him, and continued to cross.

“Ada!” he screamed. She turned her head. “I’m sorry!”

Ada shook her head. “It’s too late to apologize.”

Ada turned her back on him to continue across the street. She didn’t turn when he fell to his knees, didn’t turn when he screamed her name over and over again. When she turned a corner, Tane finally gave up and headed back to his apartment.

Tane picked up her letter, re-reading it, again and again, just until his eyes were dry. He finally let the letter flutter back to rest on the table, and he collapsed into his chair, her voice ringing in his ears. “It’s too late to apologize.”