Her hand advances across the pillow till it reaches his face. She wants to remember every detail of it; of him. Her fingers trace his forehead, his eyes, nose and cheeks...finally to his lips, lingering there momentarily. She would forever hear the magical words that those lips spoke when he told her that he had loved her for a long time. She smiles as she brings her fingertips to her lips, still feeling the warmth where his lips had caressed hers last night.

Quietly sliding out of the bed, she turns to look in wonder at him, grabs her clothes, then goes to the washroom. She lays them on the vanity, and closes the door. His bathrobe is on the hook behind the door. She lifts it and hugs it to her naked body. The scent of his cologne clings to the fabric, filling her senses. A tear forms in the corner of her eye...she is going to miss everything about him. She quickly showers and dresses....not wanting to prolong her departure, yet not wanting to go either.

As she packs her suitcase, she laughs to herself as she places the black dress, garter and stockings in. The look on his face was priceless, when he discovered that's all she had on last night.

She tiptoes around to his side of the bed, and gently sits down beside him, watching him sleep for a few minutes. She kisses his cheek, then takes the roses from the vase, and selects one. She brings it to her lips, then lays it on the pillow beside him.

Wiping the tears, she grabs her suitcase and leaves. She doesn't feel the morning fog, nor see that the sun isn't shining. Her heart is heavy and sad. She doesn't want it to end, and isn't looking forward to the long flight home.

There are still a couple of hours before she has to catch her plane......she checks her suitcase in, and goes for a walk, carrying the roses in her arms. It doesn't matter where she's going; she needs to be alone. The river is close by, and they had never gotten a chance to enjoy it together. They had talked about it and about going for walks there. She hears the rushing water as she nears it. Had he ever thought of making love there as she had?

She comes to a park bench, and sits down to watch the water. She puts the roses beside her, on the seat. The sun has come out and glistens across the waves. She ponders over the last two years, the happy times and sad...the hurt, her forgiving heart, then her love for him.

Her mind wanders for a time. She is painfully aware that the time is drawing near for her to catch her plane. She gets up and walks briskly back the way she came.

He doesn't want the morning to come....doesn't want to open his eyes,......because he knows.

His hand reaches over to the pillow beside him. He finds the rose, poking his finger with one of the thorns. It doesn't hurt as much as his heart does when he realizes that she isn't there. He drops the rose beside him, and grabs her pillow, clenching it tightly, pulling it to him and burying his face in it.

He can smell her perfume, her hair...her presence is still there. His heart jumps into his throat, and he gets a choking sensation in his throat. She is gone...Was it all a dream or did it really happen.

The fog that has enveloped his sleep begins to clear from his head. He opens his eyes and looks at the place on the bed where they had made love last night...her smile inscribed in his mind...her silky body next to his. He pictures her...still laying there beside him, sleeping, dreaming, a soft smile on her lips...him kissing those lips. He aches to hold her right at that moment, to feel her wrapped securely in his arms.

He slowly creeps out of bed, goes to the window, and opens the blinds. It's gloomy and dank outside....a soft drizzle falling, leaving a cloud of mist in the air. He looks down into the empty street, hoping that she might be coming back....but after a few minutes, realizes that she isn't. His heart sinks.

The closet, and the dresser drawers are empty ..everything of hers is gone, everything but the memory of last night.

It had only been a weekend but seemed like a lifetime. They belonged together, and they had both felt it.

He takes a shower, trying to clear his head of her. She is still there...she would always be there, possessing him, his spirit, his heart, his very soul. He dries off and dresses slower than usual, not really knowing what to do. He checks the room for some sign of her...anything that she might have left. There is nothing but the rose.

He had thought of going to the airport with her, but she wouldn't let him. She had told him once that saying good-bye to him would be hard.

He leaves the apartment without having breakfast, and walks to his office; the light rain wetting his face, covering the tears that fall from his eyes. He has no idea why he is going there....but knows that he has to get away.

He stops at the entrance to the building where his office is, then changes his mind about going in. He doesn't need that kind of stress today. He strolls father down the street, to the park.

The park is enclosed in the trees, and has a lot of walking paths, that circle and go across the river. He takes one, and follows it to a fork, choosing the right one that leads right down by the river, and then back up to the park.

He feels the heat of the sun as it peeks out from behind a cloud, but it doesn't matter. His ray of sunshine has gone. He strolls farther, his eyes catching a flash of red on the bench in the near distance. As he gets closer, he notices that it's a bunch of red roses...could they be? He picks them up and quickly looks around. There is no one on the path in either direction. He was hoping......but...no.. He starts to go up the path, back to his office, carrying the roses in his hand....his heart weary, his head bent.

She suddenly remembers the roses...they are on the bench. She hastens her steps as she turns around and walks back down the path.

She sees him.....

He looks up.....

They walk faster towards each other.

He drops the roses as he lifts her into his arms.

They kiss with all of the passion inside of them, igniting their eternal flame, and undying love for each other.