[chuchutrain]: 63.Contest Entries.Valediction Entry

((A/N: Word Count-631. Winner of Flipside contest The Valediction Contest. I'm so proud of myself ^^. Enjoy.))

They sat there, the two of them nestled into the couch together. Giving each other glances every now and then when they didn’t think the other was looking. She sat with her legs curled up beside her as she leaned up against him, his arm draped around her shoulders holding her close to him. As they watched the ever dying fire as they basked in the sad yet comfortable silence. “I’m sorry for…” he began but was cut off by a quiet shush.

“Let’s just…enjoy while we can.” She answered sadly as she closed her eyes and leaned up against him taking in every detail, his smell, the way he looked at her at that moment with such love and compassion, everything. She would surely miss him with her whole heart and more. He had given her so much and now they were parting ways. He was going off to finish his training as a pilot which would take years. “I love you.” She told him sincerely. They had never said those three words to each other, they were such deep words. She didn’t know what had possessed her to speak them, the words that held so much meaning to them. But now that she had said them, she had never been so sure in her life. “I love you…” she repeated in an almost inaudible whisper as if confirming it to herself.

He seemed to be slightly surprised at these words. He had never heard them from her and he had never spoken them to her either, it was one of those things that went without words. He smiled and held her closer as he hugged her tightly. “I love you, too.” He told her with a smile as he leaned down and kissed her gently and sweetly. It was a quick kiss but meaningful. He held his forehead to hers as his nose brushed up against hers. He just stared at her face as if memorizing the way she looked, the way she sounded, and the smell of the lilies that she loved to pick from the garden. “I will always love you. I promise.” He held her close as his time to leave approached. He was to take a plane out to a flight school where he would spend the next few years. A few tears seeped out of her eyes as she smiled sadly at him. “Please, don’t cry.” He tried to console her as he began to whisper sweet nothings in her ear. “I’ll be back, I promise.” He told her truthfully. He was going to be back.

“I know…” she whispered. “I’ll miss you so much.” She told him as she wiped her tears away before he could do it for her. She forced a smile as his watch went off signaling his time to leave. “Don’t forget to write.” She told him as she removed her weight from his form so he could get up. To him it was as if a wave of cold air hit him and he felt like he was missing something dear to him with her body gone.

“I promise.” He assured her as he kissed her forehead and stood up. He walked to the door and got ready to leave. He turned to look at her once more as he gave her a reassuring smile before he picked up his duffle bag. She walked over to the door way giving him one last hug and watching him leave as he walked over to the vehicle and got in, suddenly it roared to life. Only then did everything hit her full force. She waved sadly as she watched him drive off and out of sight. That night she cried herself to sleep. That night he didn’t sleep at all.



© Stephanie Chu, 2006