Green Eyes

Esmeralda smiled as the familiar house passed by her. She was returning from Mozambique to attend an event in the name of UNICEF. She had stayed for a year but since it was her first and she was very active in her own community, they had been asked her to represent them.

Her last year had been memorable. She had grown at every level and she was a happier person as well. The people were wonderful and she could not wait to get back, she found life there different but better. It was more like her.

She received a list of companies, she needed to visit for conversing purposes since they were the biggest supporters of the event, specially at an economical level. As she reached the last one, she shivered, she couldn’t believe it.

Tom sat in his chair, reading a few papers with his fingertips. All his documents were in Braille now, despite the fact that he wasn’t completely blind yet, his vision could not distinguish the letters anymore. Business was going well, he had completely turned the company around and now it was actually considered one of the best places to work but he wasn’t happy.

He wasn’t happy because that was not the job he wanted and because he couldn’t get Esmeralda off his head. It had been a year, he had tried but it wasn’t the same. No one was the same and the fact that he knew that things had ended with a lie, disturbed him. He regretted the decision of breaking up but he had heard that she went to Africa so not everything was bad. She was happy like he wanted.

He was wrong. Esmeralda wasn’t happy, not completely. She never forgot him. She got her heart filled by the love from the children and their families but, truly, she missed Tom as much as that angered her, it was a weakness.

As she stepped into the building she saw how everything had changed. Tom hadn’t told her that he was in charge now so she assumed that Henry was there or that someone else was but the name had remained. Even the secretary was different.

“You are from UNICEF? Great, Mr. Hiddleston has been expecting you, right this way.”

Esmeralda felt her heart skip a beat. Her hair was longer, her skin wasn’t as pale and she hoped that Tom’s father wouldn’t recognize her or, if it was Henry, that he had changed his manners. As the door was opened and she stepped in, whoever was the head of the company, had his back towards her.

“Good morning.” She greeted as she stepped forward “My name is Esmeralda and I am here on behalf of UNICEF. I was sent here because your company-” She continued to ramble but then she heard a familiar chuckle and she felt her heart almost stopping.

“You haven’t changed a bit.”

Tom slowly turned in his seat, stopping himself from crying. All he could see was a confusion of colors and blurs. He could see that someone was there but it could her or an object, he couldn’t make the difference. How he wished he could see her clearly, how she had changed or not but mostly just look into her eyes. That was what he missed.

Esmeralda heart had dropped, her eyes were filled with tears. She wasn’t expecting that their reunion would be anything like this. As she looked into his eyes, she knew immediately. They looked somewhat empty and she understood.

“Esmeralda?” Tom called as he stood up from his chair, leaving his cane behind.

She swallowed hard.

“I’m… I’m here.” She said softly as he turned his head towards her voice and smiled wholeheartedly.

“It’s the first time I hear you stutter.” He noticed.

“I... I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.” She said honestly as he seemed to follow her voice.

“Where are you?” He asked softly as her heart broke but she tried not to be too obvious.

“Here.” She said gently as she touched his arm and he instantly grabbed her wrist. “What… What happened?” She asked him and he could feel the sadness in her voice.

He raised his hand slowly to what seemed like her face and he caressed her cheek.

“Many things.” He said softly “I am head of the company now, as you can see, and… my diabetes got completely out of control and I have been losing my eyesight.” He explained.

Esmeralda tensed up softly as she tried not to cry “How long has this been happening?”

Tom hesitated but decided not to lie anymore. She wasn’t his anymore, what did he have to lose?

“For a year now.”

“What?” She gasped as she widened her eyes, the tears springing free this time.

“I know… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He said quietly as he pulled her into a hug, knowing that she’d understand what it meant “I’m such a fool. I’m so sorry. I… I did what I thought to be best for you.”

Esmeralda wrapped her arms around him, now really crying. She couldn’t believe that they had separated when he had most needed her. She felt awful for it and awful for holding grudges towards him when she could easily see that he was in pain. He broke up with her to protect her, how couldn’t she have seen that before?

“Tom,” She called softly as she caressed his face “You shouldn’t have pushed me away. I wanted to be there for you.”

“You deserved better.” He replied “I didn’t want to be a burden. You… you deserved the chance to do what you always wanted to do and you did. You went to Africa and I am so proud of you. You deserved to be free.”

“But… I…” She sighed as she felt all her feelings come bursting out.

“I knew you’d do well there. When they announced the person coming here I… I couldn’t even sleep.” He chuckled.

“I never stopped thinking about you.” She blurted, surprising him. He had expected to talk to a cold Esmeralda but she was calm, receptive and overwhelmed “I… I never stopped loving you.”

Tom closed his eyed and leaned down hoping not to screw up. Esmeralda understood his motion and leant up, their lips crashing together deeply. He hold her tighter to him, kissing her more passionately as he inhaled all kinds of new smells coming from her and smile when her felt her holding him back.

“I love you Esme. I always have, no matter how much time passed.” He confessed as she smiled warmly.

She had thought that she’d never see him again but, yet, there he was. Welcoming and without a single change. Her Tom was there, her Tom who had always been hers.

“I love you too, Tom. I.. I’m sorry for how I spoke to you last time.” She apologized as he smiled at her.

“It was my fault. I said some pretty nasty things so that you got mad. I hope that you can forgive me?” He asked nervously.

“Of course, darling. I haven’t been mad at you for months but I was just too proud to say anything.” She confessed.

“You really haven’t changed.” He said again as she laughed “Would you like to be my date for the UNICEF gather-up tonight?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

~

Later that night, as they went back home by foot, Tom listened carefully as Esmeralda told him everything about Africa. She was absolutely fascinating to listen to, he found himself falling in love with Africa as well, and it reminded him of the first conversation they had had on the coffee shop. It was like he was falling in love again but harder this time.

“I missed you so much.” He told her as she stopped talking.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and smiled “I missed you too, my dear. Nothing has been the same.”

He nodded in understanding, it was true.

“Are you… Are you going back to Africa?” He wondered as he felt her squeeze his arm softly. He was letting her guide him without a doubt.

“Honestly, I would love to go back.” She sighed, feeling herself in a dilemma again. She didn’t want to leave him “But I don’t know. I’m staying a week for all the events and then I’ll decide.”

Tom nodded his head but inside he was in deep thought. An idea had occurred to him but he didn’t have time to express it because they reached his house.

“Would you like to come in?” He asked with a little grin.

Esmeralda chuckled “I would love to, darling.”

Before they knew it, he was sitting on his king-sized bed with her straddling his lap. He moaned softly as his hands massaged her thighs, gently pulling her dress up to her waist so she had more space to move, while his hands moved up to cup her breasts. Everything about her curves hadn’t changed and that pleased him.

Esmeralda removed his tie and stared at it curiously “I want to try something.” She said as she noticed the curious look on Tom’s face.

“What, darling?” He asked as she tied the tie around her eyes and then searched for his hands “What.. What is this?” He asked confused.

“It’s your tie. It’s around my eyes. I… I want to feel like you feel. Is that alright?” She asked softly.

A growl escaped his throat as he pinned her down, making her yelp “That’s more than alright.” He grinned, excited at the change of his lover not seeing just like him. He pulled her dress up, slowly, teasingly and he heard her chuckle.

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her passionately. What happened afterwards was pure bliss to him. No wonder no one else could completely satisfy him, she was just amazing in every aspect and the fact that she had the tie around his eyes, only aroused him more.

He could hear her heavy breathing, it was late, he could feel it. She rolled softly, wrapping herself around him and he welcomed her into his arms, kissing her forehead before he fell asleep.

The next morning, Esmeralda woke up a bit startled. It was past 10 am and she found it odd that Tom was still sleeping, or at least it looked like it. As she hovered closer, he smiled.

“Good morning green eyes.”

She smiled instantly as she kissed him softly “Good morning handsome. Shouldn’t you be at work?” She chuckled.

“You know what’s good about being the boss?” He chuckled “I can go at any time I want.”

Esmeralda laughed and cuddled up to him sweetly, kissing his cheek. She heard him sigh and she lifted her head.

“Is something wrong, love?”

“I decided something.” Tom said, licking his lips. He had spent most of the night thinking and he knew that it was the right time to do it. “I have been thinking about this for a while and now that you are back, you made me think again.”

“About what?” She asked curiously.

“I’m not happy with my job.” He said “I have been thinking about selling the company for a while and… you mentioned Africa so passionately, I don’t want to strip you away from it so I decided something. I am going to sell the company and go with you to Africa, if you want to.”

Esmeralda wished she could see the proud and huge smile taking over her lips.

“If I want to? Oh Tom, I’d love to!” She said happily as she hugged him “I’ve always wanted you to come with me and Africa is perfect!” She said excitedly making him laugh as she kissed him deeply “But... Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Absolutely? Tom… Africa isn’t heaven, it will request a lot from you and… are you really ready for such a change? To leave the company and so on?”

Tom took her face into his hands and smiled.

“I’m absolutely, one hundred percent sure. I am not letting you slide between my fingers again. Wherever you are, I want to be, you make me happy. I will adapt to anything, to every challenge.”