Distance

I wrapped my hands around my legs, and wiggled my toes in the sand. The warm summer breeze ruffled my dark hair. I placed a loose curl behind my ear.

A large wave broke a few feet away from me, but the water managed to reach my toes, to a place which so far had been dry, but I didn’t move. The cool water, only managed to bring a smile to my face. A smile that soon melted away. Then a shadow blocked the sand from my head. I looked up.

“Took you long enough,” I said grinning.

He smiled back. “Don’t blame me. Traffic was rough.”

I raised both eyebrows. “Really? ‘Cause the road was clear just a few moments ago.”

He shrugged. “Must have changed.”

I kept my eyebrows high.

He chuckled. “All right, all right. I woke up late. I kept hitting the snooze button. You know I’ve never been good with deadlines or anything of the sort.”

I laughed. “No, you haven’t. What are you going to do without me?”

He pursed his lips. “Be late. Drive people even crazier than I do when you’re around, stuff like that.”

“You better behave.”

He crossed his arms across his chest. “And you better not.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know that’s hard for me.”

“For me, it’s the contrary.”

My eyes traced his face, the mischievous smile that constantly played on his lips, the green eyes that never stopped laughing even when he did, the short, untidy, black hair that gave him that “bad boy” look. I grimaced. “You’re going to be late.”

“I haven’t said goodbye yet.” He placed his hands underneath my arms. I shrieked and giggled as he lifted me up. He hugged me so hard he blew the air out of me. When he let go, tears were welling up in my eyes.

“Ugh. Don’t.” He took a step back. “I hate it when you get emotional.”

I pushed him with the palm of my hand. “I’m allowed to get emotional today, you idiot. You’re leaving, and probably never coming back.”

He took in a deep breath and turned away.

“You’re having a hard time not crying too. Aren’t you?”

“No.” His voice broke.

I extended my arms to him. Reluctantly he walked into them.

“I’ll be back,” he promised.

“You better.”

There was a long silence.

“I just don’t get it,” I said.

“What?”

“Why are you going, while I stay here?”

He shrugged. “It’s just one of those things, you know. The sort that are a part of life, and only make sense later. Don’t try to figure it out now.”

“I won’t.”

He broke our embrace. “So…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I told Nick you would take me to the airport. I’m ride-less.”

I rolled my eyes. “Where are your bags?”

He grinned. “I dropped them next to your car.”

“You really are crazy. What if I couldn’t take you?”

He shrugged. “You still would.”

I laughed, but walked him to my car and drove him to the airport. That was ten years ago. Now I’m standing here on the very same beach, with my naked feet over the sand. Now, every piece of the puzzle is falling into place. I know why he left that day. It turns out I had to leave a few months later, to a different destination. It turns out that my life took many unexpected directions, directions I might have not taken if he had stayed here, because I would have never left him in the first place. I didn’t resent him for leaving me. I was sad he had, and I know I could’ve never made the same decision, but I could never be mad at him for too long.

He is supposed to come here today. I hope he does, but if he doesn’t it won’t matter. After all it’s been a long time. Still, I want to tell him how he was right, how everything makes sense now.

I sigh. Maybe he is not coming, I think, but just as I do, a shadow joins mine in the sand.