Coming Back
one of one
The cold air whipped harshly against her face, her rosy cheeks flared, her skin standing on edge. Her hair flew wildly in the wind, black tendrils waving frantically in the freezing air. Her sniffles were drowned out by the constant city traffic. Her nose was inflamed, her eyes dried out, and her hands numb as they lay by her side. The city lights were bright, shining and illuminating everything around her. With each car that drove by, a cold blast of air hit her square on. She never flinched though, never moved a muscle. Her feet were planted firmly outside of the opera house, and no matter how cold it got she would not move.
People walked past her, bumping into her as if she were simply a part of the scenery. No one took notice to her; no one regarded the young woman standing there on the sidewalk. She took her phone out of her jacket pocket, her hand shaking violently as she did so. She had been outside in the freezing temperatures for over an hour now. She slipped the phone back into her pocket, and placed her hand in there with it. It didn’t make a difference; her whole body was so cold.
Her leg shook lightly, aching, and begging for her to simply go inside. She couldn’t though, she knew he would be here any minute, and she didn’t want to miss a single moment with him. He had been gone for over a year now, and no words could describe how badly she missed him. Simply thinking of him warmed her body, the traces of his touch echoing through her mind. She let out a puff of breath, which quickly flew away into the cold night. She could not believe that this night was finally here, and she would not let him running late ruin it.
He was never good with time, always too stuck in the moment to move on. She closed her eyes, remembering the feeling of his warm body next to hers. They would lie in bed, his arms wrapped around her bare waist as he held her closely. She could feel his breath tickling the bridge of her nose. His fingers would trace patterns on her back, while she intertwined their legs underneath the sheets. He would kiss her forehead, causing her to look up into his brown eyes. In those moments, she knew that he loved her, and that she loved him more than anything in the world. She didn’t want to open her eyes, until she heard a car door closing nearby. Her eyes shot open, and she turned her head to the left to see a man getting out of a taxi cab. He wore a heavy jacket, the hood over his head, as he leaned over to pay the taxi driver.
A smile broke onto Willow’s face, her hands coming out of her pockets as she tried to fix her hair. Her first few steps were hard, her legs wanting to give out. She hadn’t seen him in so long, what would she do now? She wanted to wrap him up in her arms, kiss him a millions times, and never let go, never be without him again. Her smile grew as her pace quickened, she wanted to yell his name, but she couldn’t find the words to speak. She knew he would come, he always did, he said he always would. She was now right behind him, and her arm reached out and landed on his shoulder.
“Willow!”
She ignored the call coming from behind her, waiting for him to turn around, waiting for him to sweep her off her feet. “Hello?” his deep voice came, and Willow’s hand quickly dropped from his shoulder. She stepped backwards as the man turned to face her. Pale skin, green eyes, blonde hair, it wasn’t him.
“S-sorry,” her voice was small as she turned around and quickly began walking away. Her face reddened even more, it had been the wrong one, how could she have even thought that was him? No matter, he would be here soon.
“Willow!” the call came again, and this time she took notice of it. She saw her walking towards her, a hat capping her red hair, and her black boots moving her quickly forward.
“What are you doing here Melanie?” she asked once she was close enough. Melanie stopped right next to her friend, her eyes filled with concern.
“Willow, we need to go.”
“No, I’m waiting for John. We are going to see a show,” Willow said as she once again began looking for him.
Melanie turned to look at the opera house, the lights inside were off, they were closed, all shows over for the night. “Willow, please, it’s cold,” she placed her gloved hand on Willow’s shoulder. Willow looked over at it, and then up to her friend.
“He is going to be here,” Willow said sternly, shrugging the hand off of her.
“Please, just let’s go,” Melanie was now shaking due to the cold, stuffing her rejected hand back into her pocket.
“We’ve had these plans for months,” Willow whispered, more to herself than to Melanie.
“He isn’t coming.”
Willow snapped her head to look at Melanie, anger raging fierce in her eyes. “Don’t start that again, he is coming.” She looked away, not willing to listen to Melanie.
“Please,” her hand once again landed on Willow’s shoulder, and this time it was quickly shoved off. Willow turned to face her, her eyes beginning to water.
“He is coming Melanie, he said he would be here.”
“Willow, he’s not coming, he’s-“
“No! Don’t! Don’t you dare!” a few tears fell from Willow’s eyes. She took a step backwards as Melanie began to reach out towards her.
“Sweetie, he’s,” she paused before saying another word, she didn’t want to be this blunt with her, “dead,” she whispered.
“No he isn’t!” Willow’s voice rang out, loud and filled with pain. “He promised! He said he would be back! He would never leave me! Never! He will be here! They found the wrong guy! It wasn’t John!”
“Sweetie, yes it was, please, he isn’t coming,” Melanie’s eyes began to tear up; the hurt that played on her friend’s face was almost too much to bear.
“Don’t,” Willow shook her head violently, her hair swaying back and forth, “Don’t you dare say that!”
Melanie’s arms found their way around Willow’s small frame. She tried to fight her off at first, but eventually couldn’t. She let Melanie hold her as she sobbed into her jacket. She pictured John, dressed in his army uniform, exiting a taxi cab at this very moment. Melanie would be shocked, being proven wrong. Willow would run into his arms, inhaling his sweet scent as she kissed his warm lips. The sobs wracked her body as she prayed that he would arrive, but minutes passed and he never did, so instead she shut her eyes tightly and was back in her bed, his breath tickling her nose, and her legs intertwined with his.
People walked past her, bumping into her as if she were simply a part of the scenery. No one took notice to her; no one regarded the young woman standing there on the sidewalk. She took her phone out of her jacket pocket, her hand shaking violently as she did so. She had been outside in the freezing temperatures for over an hour now. She slipped the phone back into her pocket, and placed her hand in there with it. It didn’t make a difference; her whole body was so cold.
Her leg shook lightly, aching, and begging for her to simply go inside. She couldn’t though, she knew he would be here any minute, and she didn’t want to miss a single moment with him. He had been gone for over a year now, and no words could describe how badly she missed him. Simply thinking of him warmed her body, the traces of his touch echoing through her mind. She let out a puff of breath, which quickly flew away into the cold night. She could not believe that this night was finally here, and she would not let him running late ruin it.
He was never good with time, always too stuck in the moment to move on. She closed her eyes, remembering the feeling of his warm body next to hers. They would lie in bed, his arms wrapped around her bare waist as he held her closely. She could feel his breath tickling the bridge of her nose. His fingers would trace patterns on her back, while she intertwined their legs underneath the sheets. He would kiss her forehead, causing her to look up into his brown eyes. In those moments, she knew that he loved her, and that she loved him more than anything in the world. She didn’t want to open her eyes, until she heard a car door closing nearby. Her eyes shot open, and she turned her head to the left to see a man getting out of a taxi cab. He wore a heavy jacket, the hood over his head, as he leaned over to pay the taxi driver.
A smile broke onto Willow’s face, her hands coming out of her pockets as she tried to fix her hair. Her first few steps were hard, her legs wanting to give out. She hadn’t seen him in so long, what would she do now? She wanted to wrap him up in her arms, kiss him a millions times, and never let go, never be without him again. Her smile grew as her pace quickened, she wanted to yell his name, but she couldn’t find the words to speak. She knew he would come, he always did, he said he always would. She was now right behind him, and her arm reached out and landed on his shoulder.
“Willow!”
She ignored the call coming from behind her, waiting for him to turn around, waiting for him to sweep her off her feet. “Hello?” his deep voice came, and Willow’s hand quickly dropped from his shoulder. She stepped backwards as the man turned to face her. Pale skin, green eyes, blonde hair, it wasn’t him.
“S-sorry,” her voice was small as she turned around and quickly began walking away. Her face reddened even more, it had been the wrong one, how could she have even thought that was him? No matter, he would be here soon.
“Willow!” the call came again, and this time she took notice of it. She saw her walking towards her, a hat capping her red hair, and her black boots moving her quickly forward.
“What are you doing here Melanie?” she asked once she was close enough. Melanie stopped right next to her friend, her eyes filled with concern.
“Willow, we need to go.”
“No, I’m waiting for John. We are going to see a show,” Willow said as she once again began looking for him.
Melanie turned to look at the opera house, the lights inside were off, they were closed, all shows over for the night. “Willow, please, it’s cold,” she placed her gloved hand on Willow’s shoulder. Willow looked over at it, and then up to her friend.
“He is going to be here,” Willow said sternly, shrugging the hand off of her.
“Please, just let’s go,” Melanie was now shaking due to the cold, stuffing her rejected hand back into her pocket.
“We’ve had these plans for months,” Willow whispered, more to herself than to Melanie.
“He isn’t coming.”
Willow snapped her head to look at Melanie, anger raging fierce in her eyes. “Don’t start that again, he is coming.” She looked away, not willing to listen to Melanie.
“Please,” her hand once again landed on Willow’s shoulder, and this time it was quickly shoved off. Willow turned to face her, her eyes beginning to water.
“He is coming Melanie, he said he would be here.”
“Willow, he’s not coming, he’s-“
“No! Don’t! Don’t you dare!” a few tears fell from Willow’s eyes. She took a step backwards as Melanie began to reach out towards her.
“Sweetie, he’s,” she paused before saying another word, she didn’t want to be this blunt with her, “dead,” she whispered.
“No he isn’t!” Willow’s voice rang out, loud and filled with pain. “He promised! He said he would be back! He would never leave me! Never! He will be here! They found the wrong guy! It wasn’t John!”
“Sweetie, yes it was, please, he isn’t coming,” Melanie’s eyes began to tear up; the hurt that played on her friend’s face was almost too much to bear.
“Don’t,” Willow shook her head violently, her hair swaying back and forth, “Don’t you dare say that!”
Melanie’s arms found their way around Willow’s small frame. She tried to fight her off at first, but eventually couldn’t. She let Melanie hold her as she sobbed into her jacket. She pictured John, dressed in his army uniform, exiting a taxi cab at this very moment. Melanie would be shocked, being proven wrong. Willow would run into his arms, inhaling his sweet scent as she kissed his warm lips. The sobs wracked her body as she prayed that he would arrive, but minutes passed and he never did, so instead she shut her eyes tightly and was back in her bed, his breath tickling her nose, and her legs intertwined with his.