THE BRIDGE BETWEEN US
276 Words
The dawn rose over the Seine, gray and slow. Juliet leaned against the stone railing of Pont Alexandre III, the city waking around her.
Miles joined her, his face marked by sleeplessness and resolve.
“Valois will meet us at noon,” he said. “He’ll protect you. I’ll turn myself in as a witness.”
Juliet turned sharply. “You’re not going alone.”
“This is my penance, Juliet.”
Her voice cracked. “Don’t talk like you’re already gone.”
He smiled faintly, the way he used to when they were young. “You said once that love is about seeing someone clearly, even when they’re breaking. Can you see me now?”
She nodded through tears. “Too clearly.”
He reached into his coat and handed her a folded page a letter written in his own hand.
If I don’t make it, tell Michael I tried. Tell him I loved you long before I knew what love cost.
She shook her head, refusing. “No more letters, Miles. You’re not a ghost yet.”
They stood there for a long time, the wind tangling her hair, the river whispering below.
Then Miles stepped closer, his forehead resting against hers.
“When this is over, let’s stop surviving and start living.”
Juliet smiled through trembling lips. “Promise me that’s not another lie.”
“I swear,” he whispered. “For you, Juliet, I’ll become the truth.”
Midnight Letter #55 Michael,
He’s risking everything now his name, his freedom, his heart. If love has a sound, it’s the sound of footsteps on a bridge at dawn, walking toward redemption.
- Writer
