The Only Exception
00
Seven fifty-nine.
She looked at the digital clock that laid beside her bed longingly with anxiety feeling it’s way through out her body that it made her nearly tremble. Alongside the digital clock she viewed at the numerous piles of photographs and heartfelt letters that she received over the past couple of years. Each letter and picture she must have read over and viewed nearly a hundred times each. And each time it gave her a sense of comfort but also gave a small tiny stab that resided inside her chest, and each time once more, she realized how alone she was even with a significant other.
And she knew a minute or two that she would get that sense of comfort and glee and completeness just like any other junkie would with their addiction. But with every drug comes a side effect and hers came with a sentiment of heartbreak and solitude.
But finally she heard it:
Ring, ring.
A smile immediately radiated off her face that showed her sense of excitement and cheerfulness and the smile grew even wider as she reached out and grabbed the phone.
“Hey,” She said softly with though she was sure that her happiness could still be heard even from her smallest of whispers.
“Hey gorgeous,” she heard him say through the small speaker and instantly her heart fluttered and she felt that rush of joy once more and she knew for the next few moments she wouldn’t be alone anymore.
“So how’s Washington?” she asked him.
“Big and cold,” he responded which made her giggle. There was a silence after her outburst and then, “I miss you, Rosemary.”
“I miss you too, Eric.” She sighed with her lips pouting slightly. “I wish you could come back.”
“Me too, Baby. I’d do anything to hold you in my arms again.” Even though the words he said saddened her, his voice was uplifting. She always enjoyed his voice, especially when that was all she had to hold onto at night. Besides the constant letters and pictures, that was all she had to remind her that he was still very much real.
“Aw, you’re making miss you way more than I have to,” She pouted childishly. Now it was his turn to laugh.
“I love that laugh,” she whispered. He suddenly stopped laughing and then there was a pause.
“I love you,” he said.
“You’re such a cheese ball,” she giggled.
“Hey my cheesiness got me a second date didn’t it?” He asked proudly.
“It was your look not your personality.” she laughed.
“Oh, that’s nice to know. I’m just a body to you.” They both laughed once more before they finally paused and let the silence settle in.
With such silence overriding the whole conversation they couldn’t figure out what else to say and just let themselves reminisce in collections of past meetings. The last few details they had to remind them that each other’s touches still existed and just waited for them on the other side of the country.
What memory that struck Rosemary the most was their last meeting. The last time she saw him. The day he left.
For some reason that day had been cold, windy, and gray. A gloomy day that expressed in great detail the feelings that Rosemary held within herself that day. She knew the day would come eventually, and she knew she’d be dealing with the heartbreak afterwards. She never guessed that that day would come so quickly like it had. She once again, saw herself in front of Eric in all his beauty about to say goodbye.
“Goodby-”
“Shh,” he said as he placed his finger on her lips. “don’t you know saying goodbye is bad luck?”
She began to tear up before she jumped into his arms to prevent him from seeing the tears actually fall. Though he couldn’t see them he could surely hear them from her involuntary hiccups and fast breathing. Instantly she felt his hand pat and smooth out her blond hair and kiss her sweetly along side of her face. He whispered comforting words and they stayed like that for what seemed an eternity before his flight was announced and he walked out of her life for the next three years.
“Hey.” She was brought back from to the present and answered the man on the other line.
“Hey,” she mumbled back.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked.
“How you need to get your butt back over here,” she said as she pursed her lips a little by habit.
“You know I wish I could babe, I just can’t.”
“I know,” she sighed.
“And I know this isn’t you’re thing-”
“He says for the millionth time,” she sighed.
“Well I know you made a huge deal about it when I first told you about me leaving,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Yea because it wasn’t,” she murmured as she twirled her fingers around the cord of the phone.
“I thought I was gonna lose you when you told me,” he said softly.
“Yea, so did I.”
“I just don’t know if I can do that, Eric. Long distance isn’t my thing,” Rosemary said as she held the hot cup of coffee between her hands. She stared at the hot liquid for the longest time before she finally decided to finally look up to her lover’s face, afraid of what his expression might be. But she was surprised, his face wasn’t expressing deep despair but a very pensive attitude. She waited patiently before he responded.
“What are you afraid of?” He asked.
“Not being with you once you leave,” she said softly before she sipped the hot coffee to get rid of the twirling and ripping feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“But we will be together, we’ll still have our relationship and-”
“No, I mean, I know we’ll still have a relationship but not the kind where I can show you by giving you kisses or hugs. I want to still kiss you goodnight and run into your arms when I see you the first time for the day. I won’t get that when you’re gone,” She said as her lips quivered as the reality hit her a little harder.
“No but I’ll be able to say goodnight to you every night like usual, just through the phone. And maybe I won’t be able to hug you, but I can send you sappy love letters like they do in those movies you like and send pictures. I know you’ve dumped guys for leaving the city but Rosemary, you and I both know our relationship is different from the ones you’ve had and I’m not willing to lose you. Three years may seem long at first but before you know it, I’ll be back to you and you won’t even realize I left.”
“I don’t know, Eric.” She said honestly as she bit her lips and set down her cup. “I don’t think I can handle it.”
“I promise to call you every night, It’ll make it easier. And if I don’t you have permission to dump me,” He said.
“You’re pretty confident you’ll keep that promise aren’t you?” She asked raising a questioning eye.
He smiled and he knew that he wasn’t gonna lose her anytime soon.
“You haven’t missed a day yet. You’ve called everyday like you promised,” she said smiling.
“I’m still not willing to let you go, babe. I’m surprised you even agreed. I was ready to leave town single.”
“Well,” she said. “you’re the only exception. Even from the moment when I first saw you at Starbucks, I knew you’d be different.”
She could hear him chuckling lightly.
“Hey, Eric?”
“Hm?”
“I miss you,” she yawned.
“I miss you too, gorgeous. Goodnight, doll,” He said.
“Night.”
Click.
“Nine-thirty,” she said to herself as she looked at the alarm clock.
She got that sense of comfort and glee and completeness just like any other junkie would with their addiction as she got ready for bed. Sadly, she knew it’d be gone once she woke up the next morning, with every drug comes a side effect and hers came with a sentiment of heartbreak and solitude.
She looked at the digital clock that laid beside her bed longingly with anxiety feeling it’s way through out her body that it made her nearly tremble. Alongside the digital clock she viewed at the numerous piles of photographs and heartfelt letters that she received over the past couple of years. Each letter and picture she must have read over and viewed nearly a hundred times each. And each time it gave her a sense of comfort but also gave a small tiny stab that resided inside her chest, and each time once more, she realized how alone she was even with a significant other.
And she knew a minute or two that she would get that sense of comfort and glee and completeness just like any other junkie would with their addiction. But with every drug comes a side effect and hers came with a sentiment of heartbreak and solitude.
But finally she heard it:
Ring, ring.
A smile immediately radiated off her face that showed her sense of excitement and cheerfulness and the smile grew even wider as she reached out and grabbed the phone.
“Hey,” She said softly with though she was sure that her happiness could still be heard even from her smallest of whispers.
“Hey gorgeous,” she heard him say through the small speaker and instantly her heart fluttered and she felt that rush of joy once more and she knew for the next few moments she wouldn’t be alone anymore.
“So how’s Washington?” she asked him.
“Big and cold,” he responded which made her giggle. There was a silence after her outburst and then, “I miss you, Rosemary.”
“I miss you too, Eric.” She sighed with her lips pouting slightly. “I wish you could come back.”
“Me too, Baby. I’d do anything to hold you in my arms again.” Even though the words he said saddened her, his voice was uplifting. She always enjoyed his voice, especially when that was all she had to hold onto at night. Besides the constant letters and pictures, that was all she had to remind her that he was still very much real.
“Aw, you’re making miss you way more than I have to,” She pouted childishly. Now it was his turn to laugh.
“I love that laugh,” she whispered. He suddenly stopped laughing and then there was a pause.
“I love you,” he said.
“You’re such a cheese ball,” she giggled.
“Hey my cheesiness got me a second date didn’t it?” He asked proudly.
“It was your look not your personality.” she laughed.
“Oh, that’s nice to know. I’m just a body to you.” They both laughed once more before they finally paused and let the silence settle in.
With such silence overriding the whole conversation they couldn’t figure out what else to say and just let themselves reminisce in collections of past meetings. The last few details they had to remind them that each other’s touches still existed and just waited for them on the other side of the country.
What memory that struck Rosemary the most was their last meeting. The last time she saw him. The day he left.
For some reason that day had been cold, windy, and gray. A gloomy day that expressed in great detail the feelings that Rosemary held within herself that day. She knew the day would come eventually, and she knew she’d be dealing with the heartbreak afterwards. She never guessed that that day would come so quickly like it had. She once again, saw herself in front of Eric in all his beauty about to say goodbye.
“Goodby-”
“Shh,” he said as he placed his finger on her lips. “don’t you know saying goodbye is bad luck?”
She began to tear up before she jumped into his arms to prevent him from seeing the tears actually fall. Though he couldn’t see them he could surely hear them from her involuntary hiccups and fast breathing. Instantly she felt his hand pat and smooth out her blond hair and kiss her sweetly along side of her face. He whispered comforting words and they stayed like that for what seemed an eternity before his flight was announced and he walked out of her life for the next three years.
“Hey.” She was brought back from to the present and answered the man on the other line.
“Hey,” she mumbled back.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked.
“How you need to get your butt back over here,” she said as she pursed her lips a little by habit.
“You know I wish I could babe, I just can’t.”
“I know,” she sighed.
“And I know this isn’t you’re thing-”
“He says for the millionth time,” she sighed.
“Well I know you made a huge deal about it when I first told you about me leaving,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Yea because it wasn’t,” she murmured as she twirled her fingers around the cord of the phone.
“I thought I was gonna lose you when you told me,” he said softly.
“Yea, so did I.”
“I just don’t know if I can do that, Eric. Long distance isn’t my thing,” Rosemary said as she held the hot cup of coffee between her hands. She stared at the hot liquid for the longest time before she finally decided to finally look up to her lover’s face, afraid of what his expression might be. But she was surprised, his face wasn’t expressing deep despair but a very pensive attitude. She waited patiently before he responded.
“What are you afraid of?” He asked.
“Not being with you once you leave,” she said softly before she sipped the hot coffee to get rid of the twirling and ripping feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“But we will be together, we’ll still have our relationship and-”
“No, I mean, I know we’ll still have a relationship but not the kind where I can show you by giving you kisses or hugs. I want to still kiss you goodnight and run into your arms when I see you the first time for the day. I won’t get that when you’re gone,” She said as her lips quivered as the reality hit her a little harder.
“No but I’ll be able to say goodnight to you every night like usual, just through the phone. And maybe I won’t be able to hug you, but I can send you sappy love letters like they do in those movies you like and send pictures. I know you’ve dumped guys for leaving the city but Rosemary, you and I both know our relationship is different from the ones you’ve had and I’m not willing to lose you. Three years may seem long at first but before you know it, I’ll be back to you and you won’t even realize I left.”
“I don’t know, Eric.” She said honestly as she bit her lips and set down her cup. “I don’t think I can handle it.”
“I promise to call you every night, It’ll make it easier. And if I don’t you have permission to dump me,” He said.
“You’re pretty confident you’ll keep that promise aren’t you?” She asked raising a questioning eye.
He smiled and he knew that he wasn’t gonna lose her anytime soon.
“You haven’t missed a day yet. You’ve called everyday like you promised,” she said smiling.
“I’m still not willing to let you go, babe. I’m surprised you even agreed. I was ready to leave town single.”
“Well,” she said. “you’re the only exception. Even from the moment when I first saw you at Starbucks, I knew you’d be different.”
She could hear him chuckling lightly.
“Hey, Eric?”
“Hm?”
“I miss you,” she yawned.
“I miss you too, gorgeous. Goodnight, doll,” He said.
“Night.”
Click.
“Nine-thirty,” she said to herself as she looked at the alarm clock.
She got that sense of comfort and glee and completeness just like any other junkie would with their addiction as she got ready for bed. Sadly, she knew it’d be gone once she woke up the next morning, with every drug comes a side effect and hers came with a sentiment of heartbreak and solitude.