It has been such a long time, but I still think of her. I think of her every day and I still have the same feeling. I know I still love her. I look back, and I wonder, did I do the right thing? I want everything to go back, to the way they were. But I know, I know that it’s impossible. I often think of her. I often think about the first time we met.

I was hurrying through the crowd, desperate to catch that bus. I had to get there on time. I saw the doors close and the bus started to drive away from me, and leave me there, in desperate need to get to where I was going. I waved and screamed at the bus to stop, and for some unknown reason, it did stop. I gratefully ran up to it and the doors opened. There, in front of me, she was. She smiled at me.
“I’m glad you made it,” she said and then turned around and walked to get a seat. She had stopped the bus for me, and I was ever so thankful to the beautiful girl who had just saved my day. The driver told me to hurry and get on. I looked for a seat. Only one seat looked inviting, and it was next to her. I sat down and she looked at me with a smile in her eyes.
“Thank you,” I said. She just laughed and explained to me that she only did what she would have wanted someone else to do for her. I reached my hand out and we introduced ourselves. I knew, already there, that I was stuck.

It’s not a very fancy first meeting, but it still means so much to me. That I got to meet her at all. Because of this meeting I got to spend time with her. I got to love her. Everything happened so fast after that first meeting. We decided to meet the same weekend.

I didn’t want to call it a date, in case it would scare her. We had only met once, and still I had this feeling, a feeling that this could last forever. I didn’t tell her, not yet. All we did was talk. We had so much to talk about. I wanted to know all about her. What had happened to her before I met her? What did she do when she was bored? What made her laugh? Who was she? I wanted to remember everything she told me. Everything about her fascinated me. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I didn’t want to. When we had to part that night, it hurt. I had to see her again.

I walk along the road where we used to stroll. I look at everything around me. It looks just the same. If it wasn’t for the fact that she was no longer mine, everything still would have been the same. Exactly the same.

Her arm linked with mine. Her head against my shoulder. We walked along the street. Laughing at something only we understood. She was mine, I was hers. We were inseparable, always together. Nothing in this world could separate us, ever.

I look down on my arm. Looked at where she belonged. By my side. A laughter I recognize so well chimes in my ears and I look up.

“I don’t approve of it,” he simply said, not even looking at the two of us. I took a step forward.
“Please, sir, I can’t see the problem you seem to have noticed. I love her, and she has accepted me. I can make her happy, I can assure you…”
“There are plenty of men that can make my daughter happy, you may leave.”
“But, father…” she tried, but to no use.

As I look up, I see her. Her arm linked with his. She smiles at something he says, but it’s not the same. Not the same as with us. She turns her gaze forward and our eyes meet.

“Please, come with me. We will be happy together. I love you, I always will. Nothing he says can ever change that,” she begged, tears streaming down her face. No matter how much it hurt me to see her like this, I knew what I had to do. I couldn’t let her become enemies with her father, because of me. She needed her father. She needed her family. I took her hands in mine. One last time.
“It will never last. Go home.” I tried to walk away from her. She kneeled down and grasped for my arm.
“It will last. Don’t let the things he says get to you. There’s no other man that can make me happy, not the way you do.” Her voice was just a faint whisper. I wasn’t that great of a man. She would get over it. It was just a teenage crush. Right? “I love you.” The words cut me like a knife. I couldn’t believe that I was doing this. I was leaving her. My love. My other half. We were going separate ways.
“Goodbye.”

The pain I see in her eyes hurts me the most. Is it too late? Can’t I run up to her, take her with me, and we could run away. I would do as she once asked me. Everything would be fine. Could she forgive me? Forgive me for leaving her the way I did? Her eyes told me both ways. We were closing in to each other. None of us is breaking the eye contact. My lips form her name, but no sound comes out. It’s like a silent scream of hopelessness. She curves her lips into a sad, but still so beautiful, smile. I know now, that it really is too late. She might forgive me for the pain I have caused, but it still won’t fix anything. What we had is already broken. It can never return to what it once was. What we both thought was going to last forever. A love that was so strong, still it was so fragile. Did I do the right thing? Was leaving her the best thing to do? We looked into each others’ eyes until we had passed each other. I felt my heart pound in my chest, as if it was trying to beat its way out of there. I turned my head and looked over my shoulder and caught her doing the same. Our gazes connecting one last time. He bent down and kissed your head. I looked away and tried to keep breathing. My chest felt too tight.
That smile on your face, is killing me. I hope he makes you happy. I hope I did the right choice in leaving you. I’ll be gone now. You’ll never see me again. I’ll completely disappear from your life. I will let time heal the wounds in my soul. I will forget you, move on. As time passes, maybe I will be able to forget. Everything can be healed by time. At least that’s what people say. That’s what I get to hear. In order to put my hope into something I’ll try and listen to this advice. If I can, I will let time forget. Let time forget, that I love you. Let time forget, that’ll I’ll always be, without you.