Love After Goodbye

It was a quiet evening. The sky was warm. Lena thought that the future was all hers. The blue lake moved gently every time the wind passed through the trees. Nearby children laughed, and their voices drifted across the park. The smell of grass and warm earth was in the air. For a moment, everything felt really peaceful. Lena was sitting on an old bench near the lake. Her fingers were loose around the book she had been reading for about fifteen minutes. She was not looking at the pages. Her eyes kept going to the same person over and over. Ethan was lying on the grass. His arms were behind his head. He was looking up at the sky as if it had answers that no one else could see. "Hey, what are you thinking about?" Lena asked. Ethan did not move. "What do you mean?" he said. "You are obviously thinking about something. " Lena said. A little smile came on the corner of his mouth. "Is thinking now a crime?" he asked. "It should be, " Lena replied. "You look like you are trying to solve a problem." Ethan finally turned his head towards her. His eyes became soft as he looked into her brown eyes. "Maybe I am," he said. Lena made a noise. "Well, good luck with that," she said. He rolled onto his side. Sat up on one elbow. His eyes were on her in a way that made her feel safe and sensitive at the time. "My love, do you ever think about the future?" he asked. Her face changed a little. " Of course, everyone thinks about the future," she said. He shook his head and looked at her. "I mean, do you ever think about where we will be and what our lives will look like in the next three to five years?" he asked. Lena closed her book. Dropped it slowly. The calm wind moved her dark hair across her cheek. She brushed it away, watching the lake move. "Yes, I do," she said. “ And?”Ethan asked. "What do you mean?” Lena said. "What do you see?" Ethan asked. Lena paused. Her mind went past the park, past the golden sky, into a future she rarely talked about. "I see a house," she said softly. "Not a big one. Just a warm one. Somewhere with a garden where I can grow my own food." Ethan listened carefully. His face became soft. "Is that all?" he asked. "Um, with a kitchen where I can cook my favorite food,” she said with a little smile. "Maybe a dog that barks a lot." Ethan laughed. "And someone burning food," he added. She looked at him. "You know I cook better than you," she said. "Ouch, that hurts, " he said. "But you are right, " he replied. Ethan sat up. Brushed the grass from his shirt. "And oh, are you forgetting something?" he asked. "What is that?" Lena said. "You did not mention me, " he said. Lena's cheeks became warm. "You are very confident," she said. "No, I am very observant," he said. He moved closer to her. His shoes made a sound on the gravel path. The space between them became smaller. Lena could see the spots on his nose. "You always talk about the future like I am not part of it,” Ethan said softly. Her chest felt tight."You know you are always going to be in my life," she said quietly. "Good girl," he said. The words made him feel better. For a while, the world seemed to stop around them. The wind became soft. The lake moved quietly, and even the children's voices faded away. Ethan put his hand in his jacket pocket. Took out a small thing wrapped in his fingers. He held it tight, as if it were very important. Lena tilted her head. "What is that in your hand?" she asked. He closed his fist quickly. "Nothing,” he said "That doesn't look like nothing,” she said. "It is not important,” he said. Lena looked at him suspiciously. "You know you are bad at keeping secrets," she said. " More like mysterious," he said. "You are obviously hiding something," she said. Ethan laughed. "You are supposed to like my mysterious image,” he said. "I refuse to be part of any mysterious image," she said. He sat on the bench beside her, close enough that their shoulders touched. The touch made her stomach feel funny. "Fine," he said with a sigh. "I will say what I have been thinking about." "Oh no," she said. "Here comes another question." "No, this one is better," he said. Ethan leaned forward. Put his elbows on his knees. His eyes went towards the lake. "Do you ever wonder why people meet?" he asked. Lena blinked. "What kind of question is this?" she said. "Just answer, " he said. She thought about it. "I guess it is a coincidence,” she said. "Maybe, " Ethan said slowly. A breeze across the lake made waves that shone in the fading sunlight. "Sometimes," he said, "it is bigger than just a coincidence." "How?" she asked. "Like the world pushes people together, " he said. Lena raised an eyebrow. "You think the world personally made us meet so you can annoy me?" she said. "Exactly," he said. "Big assumption,” she said. He smiled. "But think about it," Ethan said. "Out of many people on the planet, we somehow found each other," he said. "That is how relationships work," she said. "No," he said, shaking his head. "It is strange. And amazing," he said. Lena looked at him for a moment. There was something beneath his joking tone. Something deeper, quieter. "Are you trying to say something?" she asked. Ethan opened his mouth, then closed it again. His fingers got tight around the thing in his pocket. "Maybe," he said. Lena leaned back against the bench. "Well, now I am curious," she said. "You are always curious,” he said. "It is not my fault," she said. He breathed out slowly. The sunlight was fading, now going behind the trees in lines of yellow and pink, and silence came over the park. Ethan finally looked at her again, his eyes holding something fragile. "Lena," he said softly. The way he said her name made her heart skip a beat. "Yes?" she said. For a second, the words seemed ready to come out of him, then his courage went away. He leaned back. Ran his hands through his hair. "Never mind," he said. Lena made a noise. "Are you serious now?" she said. "Sorry, I changed my mind,” he said. "You cannot just start something and then stop,” she said. "Watch me," he said. She nudged his shoulder. "You are a coward," she said. "No, I am a strategist," he said. “Coward,” she said. "Fine," he laughed. "Maybe a little coward." They sat there quietly for a while, watching the sky get darker. Somewhere behind them, a group of kids ran past, their laughter coming through the evening air. A dog barked excitedly. Leaves moved overhead. Life was moving freely around them. Lena felt something deeper moving inside her chest, a quiet certainty. "You know,” she said suddenly "I think you are right," she said. Ethan looked at her. "Right, about what?" he asked. "About people meeting,” she said. "How so?" he asked. She looked at him with her eyes steady. "I think some people are meant to find each other,” she said. Ethan's face became soft. "Yeah?" he said. "Yeah,” she said. Silence came around them again. Ethan slowly took her hand. His fingers went between hers and held them tightly. Lena squeezed lightly. "You are smiling, " he said. "I do that sometimes," she said. "I love seeing you happy," he said. "You make me happy,” she said. She laughed softly. The sky started getting stars. Neither of them noticed how quickly the light was fading, nor did they notice the storm clouds coming behind the hills. Because love can feel like it will last forever when it starts, sometimes the best beginnings hide the worst endings.