Hold Me Close.

Maya sat in the back of the lecture hall, lightly swaying her foot as sat with her legs crossed. She mindlessly scrolled through her cellphone and hummed to herself, waiting for the talk to begin. Her fingers played with the thin fabric of her yellow cotton dress and closed her eyes, tilting her head back.

Oliver had been asked to speak at a local university about his journey of overcoming his troubles. He was nervous as could be and doubted himself. But as he waited on the stage of the lecture hall, he peered beyond the curtain and saw Maya sitting in the back row. He smiled to himself as he glanced at the girl that he loved. Her cheeks were the perfect rosy shade and her eyes shined brighter than the lights of New York City.

Soon enough, someone tapped Oliver on the shoulder, telling him that it was almost time to go on. He heard the crowd applause and knew that it was his turn to step out into the spotlight. The stage director signaled him on and Oli walked out to face the crowd. He stood nervously at the podium and cleared his throat. Once he saw Maya looking at him, he found his place and began.

“Hi, my name is Oliver and I’m here to tell you about how my life fell apart. I was a mess. I had gotten to the point where I didn’t give a damn about anyone or anything. And then I found out how hard it is to really change. Even Hell can get comfy once you’ve settled in. I just wanted the numb inside me to leave. No matter how fucked you get, there’s always hell when you come back down. The funny thing is all I ever wanted I already had. There are glimpses of heaven in everything. In the friends that I have, the music I make, the love that I feel. I just had to start again.” He paused for a moment and smiled at Maya, who was smiling right back up at him.

“Basically, what I’m trying to say is that you can’t give up. There’s so much to live for right in front of you. When you get to your lowest, there’s nowhere for you to go but up. It gets better. I promise. Thank you.” Oli did a slight bow and tucked his hands in his pockets before walking off the stage. He bit his lip and ran a hand through his hair, before looking back out to the crowd to find Maya. To his surprise, her seat was empty. His heart started to beat rapidly and he almost started to panic when a hand reached out for him.

Maya appeared out of nowhere and threw her arms around his neck. Oliver chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, swinging her around in a circle. He placed her back on the ground lightly and kissed her forehead. She smiled up at him and placed her hand on his cheek, affectionately. “You were amazing, Oli.” She grabbed his hands tightly in hers and stared deeply into his eyes.

He smiled back and shook his head. “I couldn’t do it without you, dear.” He traced her lips with his thumb before leaning in and placing a passionate kiss on her lips. She threw her arms around his neck once more and returned the kiss with just as much passion, glad to be where she was. With him.

They broke apart and Oliver took Maya’s small hand in his, before dragging her out of the university. They strolled along the busy town streets and took everything around them in. Their lives were different now and they refused to take anything for granted. They walked slowly and close together, as hurrying people moved past them. Their interlocked hands seemed as if they were glued together. The young couple would not have cared if they were.

There was a slight chill in the air and Oliver brought Maya closer to him, tucking her under his arm. Maya leaned her head on his shoulder and smiled, feeling safe and secure. They eventually arrived at a small restaurant, the same one that they had visited on their first date years ago. Maya locked her arm with Oli’s as the host brought them to a secluded corner table with roses and candles.

They sat down and Maya smiled, a blush appearing on her cheeks. “Oliver, what is all of this?” He chuckled and grabbed her hands. “It’s a special night for you.” For a moment, Maya was confused at what he meant, but then she realized. “Six months of being clean and free.” Oliver shook his head and tightly squeezed her hand. “No, love. Six months since finding yourself again.”

Maya smiled and nodded, knowing he was right. She cleared her throat and exhaled, brushing fallen hair out of her eyes. “I couldn’t have done it without you, you know. I owe you so much, Oliver. I would not be here if you hadn’t helped me. If you hadn’t seen something in me…” Once again, the boy shook his head. “Maybe so. But I can say the same to you. I was a mess. Reckless. I was ruining my life and everything in it and I didn’t fucking care at all. Everyone else had given up on me and left me for dead. But not you. For some reason you hung around and helped me through it. If anything, I owe you.”

Tears began to stream down Maya’s face and she reached across the table to embrace Oliver. She did not care that she was in public, in a restaurant. People were staring and stopping their conversations to look at the odd couple in the corner. But Maya did not care. She reached out and held Oliver close to her chest, as if he would disappear if she were to let him go. She sobbed lightly into his shirt, letting six months of pent up emotion pour out of her.

Oliver was just as eager for the embrace. He held her tightly and rubbed her back, certain that he never wanted to lose her ever again. Because the truth was that they both needed each other. They were a pair; a set; a packaged deal. Through hope and love, they were both able to overcome their demons and return to what really mattered in their lives: each other.

They broke apart and returned to their chairs, just in time for the waiter to bring over a bottle of champagne. “On the house, you two look like you are celebrating.” They graciously thanked the waiter and poured out two glasses. Maya smiled and looked down, her finger grazing her wine glass. “I love you, Oliver.” Oli smiled tilted his head to the side, gazing into Maya’s eyes. “I love you too, Maya.”

They both reached for their glasses and tapped them together in a simple toast before taking a sip. And just like that it was if all of their pains had been washed away, lost to the past. There was no going back now and moving forward was their only choice. Once more, Maya looked down and bit her lip before locking eyes with Oliver. “I’m proud of you, Oliver.” He smiled and nodded, sharing her gaze. “I’m proud of you, too.”