Until We Meet Again

There was a girl, Eloise, from Boston, Massachusetts.

She was bright. She lived and breathed art and the history of art. She worked in a museum of fine art, restoring pieces. When she wasn’t at work, she was at home in her tiny apartment shared with her dog, named Kat, and her cat, named Mouse. In her free time, she wrote short stories and wrote down ideas for a possible novel. Her hair was naturally black and she wore it medium length with thick bangs sweeping just over her eyes. Her beauty was subtle, from her small nose to her defined cheekbones to her fair skin. She was always at peace with the world, taking life one day at a time and accepting whatever came her way.

When she was a freshman in college and still a child at the age of 19, however, both of her parents passed away in a car accident. She was emotionally destroyed; her support system was gone and her family was in ruins. Her father lived and worked out of Los Angeles, California. He had come home to Boston to visit his family. The night he took his wife out to dinner and a theatre show was the night a drunk driver ran a red light. Her grandmother drove in from Connecticut to help arrange the funeral and figure out what would happen to the company.

Eloise stood by the closed caskets silently as people she recognized from her parents’ lives grieved and offered condolences. Her grandmother eventually joined her, holding onto her hand lovingly to show her support. Familiar face after familiar face, the room slowly drained of people until one lone person remained at the far end of the room. He slowly approached with a manila envelope clasped carefully in his hands.

And then there was a boy, Ethan, from Los Angeles, California.

He was stunning. He was the newest partner at Eloise’s father’s company, which was an amazing feat, being that he was only 23 years old at the time. He was born in Los Angeles and had never left, not even for a vacation. He had no time for friends, pets, or relationships; he was hardly even at his apartment. Everyone always told him that he would eventually work himself to death, but he never cared; he loved his career and he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

His life was turned upside down when his boss suddenly died and he was told he was the one who had to deliver the fate of the company to the only next of kin left on his side of the family. He was put on the next flight to Boston; his only reading material consisted of a file on the daughter. He was well versed on her history by the time he landed over 5 hours later. A driver was already waiting for him and whisked him away to his next destination. He felt like throwing up, however, when he realized he had been sent to the funeral.

He waited at the back of the room until everyone who was close to the family had their time. He already felt like he was imposing in the most inconsiderate way, he didn’t want to bring business into it while family and friends were mourning. So when the last person left the funeral home, he cautiously approached the two glassy-eyed women at the caskets.

“Eloise?” Ethan asked, clearing his throat.

“Yes?” the younger woman replied.

“I’m Ethan, I used to work for your father,” he introduced himself. “The company, I’ve learned, has been left to you.”

Eloise nodded slightly as she studied him. She thought he had some nerve showing up at the funeral to tell her she was now in charge of one of the largest law firms in the state of California. His brown eyes bored into her soul, the apologies pouring into her through his body language. His hair was a mess and she could tell by his wrinkled suit that it wasn’t his idea to be there just yet.

“I’m okay, Nana,” Eloise said to her grandmother. “I think Ethan and I need to speak alone.”

Her grandmother kissed her forehead before gliding out of the room. Eloise motioned to the chairs behind them and she took a seat in one of them. Ethan sat next to her in silence, daring not to speak until spoken to.

“I never got to say goodbye to them,” Eloise confided in Ethan, her eyes trained on the caskets in front of them.

“I’m very sorry,” Ethan said, his voice low and gruff. He was only there to have her sign on a dotted line, not to become emotionally attached.

“I really hate that word,” she continued slowly. “‘Goodbye,’ it’s so permanent. I’m never going to use it again, so long as I live.”

“What will you say when leaving someone, then?” Ethan questioned, staring intently at her.

“You never really leave someone,” she explained. “You’ll see them again, somewhere, someday. So, I suppose, to answer your question, I’ll begin saying ‘Until we meet again.’”

Ethan nodded, accepting that answer. Eloise looked to him now, blinking a few extra times to rid her eyes of the excess tears. He offered her a small smile as he ran his thumbs across her cheeks, sweeping away her trail of tears.

“They’ll always be with you,” he promised, his voice just above a whisper.

She suddenly became aware that he wasn’t just there to console her, he had been sent for business. “I’m sorry, you said the company was mine?”

Ethan nodded, extending the folder to her. As she sifted through the papers, he explained what it meant. She was named CEO in place of her father, and she had complete control over the company. Should she choose to keep the company afloat, she could stay in Boston but would have to fly out to Los Angeles every quarter for a week to attend meetings that would catch her up on the changes and progresses.

“And you’re a partner there?” Eloise asked, lost in a specific document.

“I am,” he confirmed. “I worked with your father a few times.”

“This says if I choose not to continue in his footsteps, everyone loses their jobs,” she read. “If I don’t become CEO, the whole company shuts down.”

“That’s why they flew me here so soon,” he explained. “The company is at a stand still right now. Your father designed this business tightly and he refuses to have anyone other than family run it.”

Eloise gently wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her chin on his shoulder, hugging him close to her. He hesitantly placed his arms around her waist, hugging her in return, not sure what she was doing.

“I’ll see you in three months,” Eloise whispered in his ear.

Ethan smiled, a warmth spreading through his chest. “Until we meet again.”