Author’s note: I got the idea of this on Sept 17, if I recalled it correctly. And finished it that morning as well. And I initially planned to post it immediately but life got in the way, and decided to postpone it. Then there came Sept 18. And we all know what day is that. And with this topic and plot, I just could not post it on the 18th. Or else I would feel like such a bad fan. I finally decided that I will post it tonight with a few edits here and there. This is a serious topic. So be warned. Proceed with caution. 

This is a Henry-centric fanfiction. 

"I should not have looked at you, fell in love you that lonely night at a bar. But I did. I was mesmerized by your presence. There were sadness and longing in your eyes that matched mine." 

That thought lingered in his mind. It was also at the tip of his tongue just waiting for the right moment to be spoken. But he chose not to. As he stood there, heart broken as she took it with her somewhere where he could not go. 

He was mad at her for leaving, for not telling him. 

The crowd was waiting for him. He made sure the microphone was on. The clearing of his throat was heard loud and clear from the speakers. 

"I found out about it, in the news. The kitchen TV was on. A flash report. A lady jumped from a bridge. The reporter described what she looked like, what was she wearing, any identifiers for people who might know her. I froze right there and then. The smoke alarm went on. The food I was cooking was long forgotten. And up to now, my burnt dinner is still in the trash and has not been thrown away. Wait, where was I? Excuse the clumsiness of my words, I have not had my black coffee with one and a half not two but one and a half teaspoon of sugar. Hmm, that is not right. That's her usual. I suddenly forgot mine." 

A long pause interrupted what he was saying. A perfect opportunity for him to collect his thoughts. Sift through them point by point. All of a sudden, he grew tired of reminiscing. How great yet cruel it was. Their memories together. Their faith. His and especially hers. 

She was not well when they met. He knew the moment he laid eyes on her, the moment she looked back at him, smiling as if everything was okay, masking the truth with random thoughts and topics to keep the conversation going, to keep the conversation far what she has been thinking and feeling lately. He very well knew he should not love her as much as he did. 

He started again with a laugh. "Funny thing is I think I ignored the signs. They were right in front of me - laughing at my jokes, hopping on my back because she was tired of walking, the doodles she wrote on napkins that I did not understand what they meant. Her tattoos. She has a lot of it. All over her arms and back. My God, they looked beautiful. You guys should have seen them up close. And yet, I did not found out the reason why she had them, not until recently. They were there to hide the scars. She is very fragile. She was very fragile. If she did not take care of herself well, she will break. And she did. I did not notice these signs because they were meant as distractions. They were daily distractions for her. And she was always with me so I got distracted too."

He was just winging it as this point. She always commented on how words just flow naturally to him when they attended weddings and he needed to give the best man's speeches. Now, saddened by the thought of weddings, how his bride would not be her anymore. 

"There is this one time I asked her how and why does she always comes up with something to do. She said because she does not want to stop and feel the wind. She saw the intrigue on my face so she continued on with talking about her fear of the wind. It scared her. That it is invincible and could get so strong, it could tip her over. Blow her away from the things and people she loves so much. When she feels it on her skin ever so lightly, as if caressing her face like the way her best friend does. She loves it when her best friend does that to her. It comforts her. But it reminds her of death. Her best friend died very young. Thirteen. Turned out, her best friend just gave up earlier in life and left Amber to suffer alone." 

He looked around the area. People focused on his every word. He saw Amber, sitting in the back, sitting beside where he was seated earlier, smiling at him like the way she did the night they met, like she did every time she looked at his face when he sleeps. She said to him when he asked why, she was memorizing every detail of his face. That when even if he is not with her, she won't forget his face. She won't ever forget him. He loves that smile of hers so much. How her eyes twinkled along with it. That was when he broke down. 

His lips trembling, "Well, you, Amber. you." He looked straight at her, with anger in his eyes. Tears now falling from weary eyes from lack of sleep. People looked at the direction, and saw nothing but an empty chair.  "Why did you leave me? Don't you love me anymore? I just... just love you so much. You wanted to be lost. Why can't you be lost with me? Why did you choose to leave me? Why? How come it was so easy for you to leave me? Huh? Answer me, Amber. Please." 

Before leaving the podium, he had an idea. A brilliant one he said proudly to himself. "I'll see you when I get there. Sooner than I expected. Okay? Meet me there. Don't be late. Promise me." 

-x-