Four Seasons Of Loneliness
She sat on the bed and pulled the robe tighter around her body. He tried to
remain calm as he packed the bags. "Have you seen my gray shirt?"
"It’s hung up in the back of the hall closet." He shook his head as
he glanced at the wristwatch he wore.
"Keep it. Where’s my hat?"
"It’s sitting on the table beside the lamp." She watched as he got
up and moved across the room to the end table. He put the hat into the suitcase
sitting on the bed. Her mind wandered to thoughts of their better days....
***
(Flashback)
"Put me down!" She laughed as he carried her across the door way. He
pushed the door shut, trying to keep the brisk fall air out of the house.
"Isn’t this what we’re supposed to do? It’s my job to carry you
across the threshold of our new house. He planted a kiss on her forehead.
"But, we aren’t married. We just moved in together."
"We’ll be married in a little while."
"Rich, are we going to be this close forever?"
"I’ll always love you."
(End Flashback)
***
"So this is it... Our four years together are going down the drain?"
He looked away from her as he noticed the tears falling from her eyes.
"I need some time apart to think." She followed him out to the car they once shared. He scraped the ice off of the windshield and sat the
suitcase in the trunk. "...to clear my mind." He brushed the tears
away from her cheek before pulling him into an embrace.
"I love you."
"I know." She had intentions of going upstairs and taking a hot bath. The pictures on the mantel distracted her. She could remember that night
like it was merely yesterday.
***
(Flashback)
He snapped the picture as her breath caught in her throat. She had opened the bedroom door and discovered that he had covered the bed with
the petals of dozens of multicolored roses. The candles that had been lit
filled the room with the aromas of jasmine and vanilla while casting a soft glow around the room. "This is beautiful." She walked across to stand
beside her boyfriend. He held two roses in his hands, slowly rotating the stems between his fingers as she approached him.
"It doesn’t even begin to compare to you, princess." He handed her
one of the flowers.
"Two full years together." She held the flower to her nose and breathed in the aroma of the rose. He brushed the remaining flower against
her cheek. "Happy anniversary, darling." He took her hands in his
before placing the ring on her finger.
(End Flashback)
***
She bypassed the bathroom and walked to the dresser in the bedroom. She opened the jewelry box and picked up her engagement ring.
She read the inscription on the band: "Life is nothing without love."
She sat
the ring back in the drawer before opening the box beside it. Her wedding ring, never worn, glistened back at her, sending waves of pain through her
body. It was at that point that she realized that her life would never be the same. The quilt that lay across the bed she once shared with the love of her
life beckoned to her. She pulled the blanket over her head and let the memories take over.
***
(Flashback)
"You can tell me... what’s going on? Are you okay?" He sat beside
her in the recliner. He realized that she was shaking. She hadn’t been the same
since she had hung up the phone. "Who called?"
"I- we-" She started sobbing as she buried her head on his chest.
"I’m pregnant." Contrary to what she had feared, he was happy. He wanted their
baby just as much as she did, if not more. He kissed her forehead.
"Now we’ll be a family."
(End Flashback)
***
"You have to come out from under those covers eventually, Amy. You can’t hide from everyone forever." Kerrie had ignored her pleasto be left
alone.
"I’m not leaving you alone until you come out. You know he’ll be back.
You and I both know that it wasn’t his fault, but he still blames himself.
***
(Flashback)
The rain had begun falling early that Easter morning. She had enjoyed watching him chasing his nephews around the lawn while they hunted for
eggs from the easter bunny. She laughed as Zachary, the youngest of them all, (barely two) tugged on the leg of his uncle’s pants. She grabbed her
jacket before moving outside to help him. After spending a wonderful day socializing with his sister and cousins, she almost regretted it when the time
came for them to leave. His mother warned them to be careful on the roads. The storm had made them
slippery. The road conditions had worsened after they ventured out into the country. He openly cursed the storms as he slowed down to compensate for
the lack of traction. She regretted taking the cough syrup earlier that day. The drowsiness had taken over her body. She drifted off to sleep in his lap.
(End Flashback)
***
"Come on, Amy. Please come out from under there. We were supposed to go pick up Ellie’s wedding dress by five thirty."
***
(Flashback)
"What are we doing here, baby?" She squinted her eyes as they attempted to adjust to the brightness. She noticed the gash above his eye
and realized that he had been crying. She squeezed his hand. "Is everything
alright?" His hoarse whispers were barely audible.
"Gone...The babies are gone."
(End FlashbacK)
***
It was that moment that she made up her mind. He wasn’t going to come back. She had to move on with her life. She got out of their bed and
changed her clothes. She turned the pictures on the mantle around and left
with Kerrie for the shopping mall. She busied herself with Ellie’s wedding plans over the next few
months. Thoughts of new hope for her best friend replaced the memories of lost love. It wasn’t until after she boarded the plane on her return from her
annual vacation with Dani and Kerrie that she realized how much she hated being alone. She dreaded returning to the dark house that waited for her.
She regretted turned off the air conditioner when she stepped inside. The ninety degree heat had taken over her house in her absence. The cold
water she had chose to wash her face with awakened her senses... The bedroom light had been on when she walked into the bathroom! She pulled
the robe against her, armed herself with her toothbrush, and went to
investigate the mystery. The glow from the vanilla and jasmine candles provided just enought
light. She noticed the petals from dozens of multi-colored rose petals spread across the bed spread. "Four years together isn’t enough. Life isn’t
anything without love." She smiled as she took four sterling roses from his
hands.
THE END
Ok that was the sorry and now i ask you to give Amy - the author - some feedback. Thanx.