Although the sun was shining, a cold wind began to settle over as the afternoon sun set into the orange horizon over the ocean. As the time grew nearer, the wind seemed to blow harder. He would soon be leaving me once again. The wind ruffled my hair, brushing strands across my face,but they went by unnoticed. We lay together in the dry sand, saying nothing but everything. His turquoise blue eyes studied my brown ones, speaking without words. The world could be said with one look. I had known this day would come, known for quite a while now, but I couldn't be ready. Would never be ready. You couldn't prepare yourself for something like this. It just wasn't something you could be ready for. And it doesn't get any easier the second or third time around. It gets harder if anything. Our fingers laced together sat between us. I felt I couldn't let him go. It was too soon. As a few stray tears bore small rivers down my cheeks, he wiped them away with his fingertips. "Please," he whispered with a pleading look in his eyes. "No more tears," I opened my mouth to speak but he stopped the words with one finger. Kissing me softly he whispered, "wait for me." Of course he already knew that I would. Then standing up, he brushed the sand off his legs and turned with out a word, heading toward his car. I sat alone now, helplessly watching him drive away. The wind blew sand all around now, swirling around in little dust cloud storms. His foot prints were covered soon, buried underneath fresh sand. It looked as if they had never been there. As if he had never been there. His footprints would disappear, but of course he himself could never be erased from my life. He'd changed me in a way no one else could. Soon enough, he'd return home, and I'd be waiting. That's how it's always been. That's how it will always be. I remained there for a long time; watching as the sky turned from orange blossom pink to purple hazy night. Finally I stood, and walked silently up the cliff to begin what now seemed like a much longer journey than before. Alone. Hopefully not for long.
