Flash Fiction: The Reunion

Chapter 2 (of 3)

Emily and me fell fast into conversation, almost as if 10 years hadn't passed. We talked of college and careers, about the welfare of common friends and our families. She told me of a failed attempt at marriage and even more failed attempts to break into music. I talked of working at a job I was trapped in and my own failed attempts towards becoming a writer. We talked of relationships won and lost, of the places we had been and of the sights we had seen. The best times were the moments of shared laughter or the brief spark of a light touch that came when our hands brushed.

Other people came and talked to us that night, but I only remember Emily. As the evening wore on and we shared drinks, those brief touches became electric the longer they lasted. All those years of pain and heartbreak seemed to melt away when I was with her. We talked of everything, though my thoughts turned dark reflecting on our last meeting together. Recalling the choice I made, my greatest mistake. Though even that thought couldn't last now that I was with her again.

It was easy to fall into that same routine, to fall under the same spell that once held me so completely. Before I was ready, the night had already grown cold and the party had dwindled to just a few stragglers and us. We sat at that table, looking into each other's eyes, quiet for the first time all evening. We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, neither not knowing what to say. The same as all those yeas ago, when I had chosen to walk away, the words unspoken laying between us. When my courage had failed and I let her walk away without telling her everything. Yet here I was, caught in the same fear that haunted me 10 years ago.

Finally, Emily stood up and peeled her name badge from her chest and let it fall the floor wordlessly. She rounded the table as I stood up, peeling my own name off, flicking the sticker off of my fingers. She at me and held both my hands, drawing me in close, into a kiss that exploded like a thousands suns, sweet and burning, extinguishing all around me. As we pulled apart, I whispered what I had had been to afraid to say those years past.

"I love you Emily."

End of Line.
Gerrad!