I still cannot believe it. Once again, as I did two decades ago, I find myself spinning in a waltz with you. Do you recall our last encounter? It was at the schools winter dance, and we glided together across the polished floor. Joy hung heavy in the air, and I was drowning in the depths of your seablue eyes. That evening I wanted to tell you the most important thingthat we were about to become parents. When I finally said it, you grew angry and snapped, Its far too early to think about that. We must wait. His words struck me like a hot iron. I understood he was right, that the timing was off, yet what could I do? Nothing could be changed. We went our separate ways, but the love I felt for you lingered long after.
You had wounded my heart then, leaving my spirit shattered into splinters. I knew you would never look back, never repent, never realise what youd lost. Your resolve was as hard as flint, and that was exactly what I had adored about you.
Our schoolmates kept me informed of your private life. I learned you had married, that you had two grownup sons, and that you were divorced. I also heard you still turned up at every class reunion, always asking after me, while none of the old boys ever seemed to know anything about me. I never attended those reunions; I was terrifiedterrified that if I stared into your eyes again, I would sink and never rise. That fear clung to me for nearly ten years.
Then, unexpectedly, He entered my world. I threw myself into a marriage that felt more like an arrangement than a romance, grateful for the stability it offered. He understood my hesitation and never hurried me. He welcomed my daughter as his own. I named the little girl Love, for I could not think of any other name that suited her. Her dark curls reminded me, oddly, of you.
My husband loves me, I feel it in every fibre of my being. His deeds, his words, even his glance speak of tenderness. About five years into our marriage, I realised I had fallen in love with the very man I had married. He somehow managed to wrap his affection around me like a warm blanket, becoming my anchor in stormy seas. He slipped a key into my soul without me noticing, and I entered his world of goodwill and understanding with relief. No one can intrude upon the love we have built.
Love saves everything, Victor. You never truly loved me; I was merely a youthful amusement to you.
And now, here I am, rambling on about myself. Victor, how have you been?
Ah, Emily lifes a bit untethered, like a horse without a bridle, you answer with a halfsmile. The boys are on their own now, each with his own worries. Im on my own, but thoughts of you still surface now and then.
I reply, Well, my husband and I have three childrenour darling Love and twin girls, both six years old. I ask, Do you remember your old schoolmate, Ethan Ustin?
You mean Ethan? you say. Of course. He was not only my best friend but the only one I trusted. After school he cut off all contactignored my calls, dodged meetings I havent heard a word from him since.
Victor, lets go to the window, I suggest. Look out over the old schoolyard.
Victor leans toward the open sash, his eyes fixed on the scene beyond.
I understand now, Emily. I understand everything How tangled our fates have been.
In the courtyard below stands Ethan Ustin, cradling two toddlers in his arms. Beside him is a young woman, about twenty, her eyes a striking shade of blue.
Goodby, Victor, she whispers, I must return to my family.
Emily, why did you decide to come to the reunion this year? Victor asks.
Im no longer afraid, Victor, I answer, looking into his gaze, my heart quieted. Seeing you now, I feel a peace I have not known for years.
