Eternal Love - A Short Story by Maro Z

"Meet me at the fountain! Seven o'clock!
Don't be late! I've missed you!"

She looked down at the message, it didn't need to be signed, the elaborate handwriting had only one owner. It was the moment she'd waited for, for far too long. Her heart started to race, her body thrum with excitement. He'd been away, dragged from their beautiful relationship by the demands of war. His tour of duty. But the message meant not only was he home, but that he was coming straight to meet her.

He loved her in red, so she wore a red dress, heels that would elevate her five feet two against his six foot frame. She could barely function for her excitement, anticipation. The fountain meant a lot to them, it'd had been where they'd met on their first date...the large impressive Gothic structure that dominated the center of town, an island in the center of a wide traffic system, the entrance to the cathedral, the center point of the town. After the first time they often strolled home past it, stopping to dip their feet in the icy water. He was always quick to offer to warm her up. A wicked look in his eyes!

Moving to the bathroom she applied lipstick, mascara and tamed her wild hair wondering if he would like how it was cut now? Would he have changed in their time apart? What effect would the war have had on him?

It was six o'clock, how was she almost running late? Daydreaming, she thought, reminiscing. With a rush she headed out, to the bus stop and took a trip to town. It was a sunny day, 'not typical for April', they'd said on the news, but then every April twenty ninth she could remember was warm, sunny, bright. This one was no different, and no less apt than the others.

And so she was there, the closest the bus would get her, a ten minute walk and it was a quarter to seven. She wouldn't rush; a sprained ankle or damaging the heel on her shoe would be no good. So she walked, not strode only stopping to judge the traffic and dash between cars to the island, the oasis in her memory, and the fountain, the scene of this much imagined fantasy.

She looked to the sky, "if only you'd done the same!" She announced, "if only you'd never rushed!" then she dropped her eyes to the fountain. Quiet today, nobody there; everyone had been celebrating the wedding far away of a Prince and his bride. But where was her Prince?

It had been busy that day, the day she'd spotted him across the street, he'd paused to wave, blow a kiss, the smile warmed her heart and she dashed to meet him, excitedly anticipating those strong safe arms encompassing her petite frame. It was the epitome of the last three years, the letters, the stories, the snatched words.

But it all ended that night; she'd not registered the shock as her beautiful man was thrown up in the air, by a car he'd been too blinded by love to see. She'd rushed to him, but his body was contorted in an unsurvivable way, and clutched in his hand was a box. A velvet box and a ring that was beyond his wealth at the time, he'd not eaten to buy this was her irrational thought as he smiled and he breathed and he whispered 'Marry me'.

Yes had been her answer from that day to this, she'd loved him to distraction even as she felt his last breath. Eventually it hit her that he wasn't coming back as she stood at his graveside the ring in her hand.

Life had been kind, a good man, beautiful children, a grandchild that went to a great University. She loved her life as it had panned out, and was never more grateful than on this day. Every day on this day of the year, she stood at this point and wondered what could have been. To have loved and lost in such a vicious way had created the perfect man, the ideal romance. The feeling of being cheated had long since gone, but each year she cried a tear for her brave soldier man. She'd moved on she'd loved and lived, but he'd had everything snatched away that day. What about his right to live? To tell children and grandchildren about all that he'd done. She felt cheated for him, an only child. Now his parents had gone not a trace of his family remained, other than for this day, every year.

She looked down into the water her gray haired reflection. This would be the last visit, the invisible cancer was taking over, this was the last, the final goodbye. Though her legacy would live on, through her beloved children, his family would finally be forgotten. Here and now.

She kissed the ring, the symbol of her eternal love, her endless devotion and tossed it deep into the fountain bowl, it was followed by the single tear that dripped from her cheek, sending its own shock-waves into the pool. For sixty five years she'd done this trip and she lived for the five minutes each time when she imagined it was real she was back in the day, only for the harsh reality of her loss to feel as fresh as it had that day.

She refolded the paper, yellowing and worn, the words barely visible but so etched in her heart. Live for today, she reinforced to her young, because you never know when you'll lose what you value so dear.