Forever Ends Too Soon
He's Back
Laura’s POV:
“Laurie, darling!” I hear and turn around. No, why is he here now?
“James?” I ask and run into his arms.
“It’s me, sweetheart.” He tells me and I start crying.
“Then who died? I saw you!” I say and he smiles.
“But you never saw my face, did you?” He asks me.
“No, it was blown to pieces. Beyond recognition.” I say.
“Then let’s go, we can get married now.” He tells me.
“Wait, how is this real? Why didn’t you ever call me or come home? That was over two years ago!” I yell at him.
“How was I supposed to face anyone one? My friends, my family, you. I love you, Laura. Darling, you’re 20 now. Gosh the time went by. Let’s go get married.” He pulls at my arm.
“I can’t.” I tell him.
“And why can’t you?” He asks me and I look at the ground.
“Zach and I are engaged.”
“You moved on? How could you have fallen in love with someone else? You don’t really love him.” Jimmy tells me.
“I thought you were dead! I waited 8 months and then decided to move on with my life. Now Zach and I have had an amazing 7 months together.”
“It took four years before I proposed.”
“Yes, but we were in high school then. I’m not in high school anymore, I’m in college working to become a grief counselor.”
"You changed your major."
"Math wasn't working out."
“Did Zach suggest that?” Jimmy asks, harshly.
“No, but he did support me.”
“Who is this Zach?” He asks.
“He’s the singer of the band I like.” I tell him and recognition flashes across his face.
“Great. You leave me for a singer.”
“I thought you were dead!”
“But now I’m not.” He tells me and tries to kiss me.
“Stop, James, I can’t forgive you yet.”
“But you still have my ring. The ring I gave you!” He yells.
“And the wedding ring I bought for you got buried with the guy I thought was you! You could have called or something.” I fall to the ground in tears.
“I didn’t know how!” He tells me. I want to believe him, but something feels wrong.
“Why do I still have the ring?” I ask and he looks at me.
“Maybe you don’t love Zach like you thought you did.” I start to answer, but I’m frozen.
“Laurie?” I hear and wake up to see Alison. It’s like losing James all over again. He’s really dead and that was all just a dream.
“What?” I ask her. I’m not sure I can handle this right now. I just need to be alone. The tears are coming.
“Are you okay? You’re crying really hard, Laurie. And you were screaming out.”
“I had a dream about James.” I confess to her. There is no point in lying about it, not to her.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Alison asks me.
“No, I have to do something important.” I grab the ring from the drawer and walk to the jewelry store.
“May I help you?” The clerk asks.
“Yes, I would like to sell this ring.”
“Laurie, darling!” I hear and turn around. No, why is he here now?
“James?” I ask and run into his arms.
“It’s me, sweetheart.” He tells me and I start crying.
“Then who died? I saw you!” I say and he smiles.
“But you never saw my face, did you?” He asks me.
“No, it was blown to pieces. Beyond recognition.” I say.
“Then let’s go, we can get married now.” He tells me.
“Wait, how is this real? Why didn’t you ever call me or come home? That was over two years ago!” I yell at him.
“How was I supposed to face anyone one? My friends, my family, you. I love you, Laura. Darling, you’re 20 now. Gosh the time went by. Let’s go get married.” He pulls at my arm.
“I can’t.” I tell him.
“And why can’t you?” He asks me and I look at the ground.
“Zach and I are engaged.”
“You moved on? How could you have fallen in love with someone else? You don’t really love him.” Jimmy tells me.
“I thought you were dead! I waited 8 months and then decided to move on with my life. Now Zach and I have had an amazing 7 months together.”
“It took four years before I proposed.”
“Yes, but we were in high school then. I’m not in high school anymore, I’m in college working to become a grief counselor.”
"You changed your major."
"Math wasn't working out."
“Did Zach suggest that?” Jimmy asks, harshly.
“No, but he did support me.”
“Who is this Zach?” He asks.
“He’s the singer of the band I like.” I tell him and recognition flashes across his face.
“Great. You leave me for a singer.”
“I thought you were dead!”
“But now I’m not.” He tells me and tries to kiss me.
“Stop, James, I can’t forgive you yet.”
“But you still have my ring. The ring I gave you!” He yells.
“And the wedding ring I bought for you got buried with the guy I thought was you! You could have called or something.” I fall to the ground in tears.
“I didn’t know how!” He tells me. I want to believe him, but something feels wrong.
“Why do I still have the ring?” I ask and he looks at me.
“Maybe you don’t love Zach like you thought you did.” I start to answer, but I’m frozen.
“Laurie?” I hear and wake up to see Alison. It’s like losing James all over again. He’s really dead and that was all just a dream.
“What?” I ask her. I’m not sure I can handle this right now. I just need to be alone. The tears are coming.
“Are you okay? You’re crying really hard, Laurie. And you were screaming out.”
“I had a dream about James.” I confess to her. There is no point in lying about it, not to her.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Alison asks me.
“No, I have to do something important.” I grab the ring from the drawer and walk to the jewelry store.
“May I help you?” The clerk asks.
“Yes, I would like to sell this ring.”