Never Stop

“Are you sure this is what you want?” her sister asks her as they're sitting on her bed, putting away the last few things left in the room inside one of the boxes.

She nods and continues to fold the sheets in perfect squares. An envelope appears in her line of sight. She looks up and stares at her sister questioningly. “He told me to give you this when we arrive, but I felt that it's better to give it to you now,” she replies, giving off a shrug. 

She hesitantly reaches for it and draws it in for closer inspection. Flipping it over, she tears it open, her hands shaking slightly. She swallows as she slowly takes out it's contents. Two folded pieces of paper never felt so heavy in her entire life. She pauses and contemplates reading the letter. Her sister nudges her and offers her a smile, “Go on then.”

Letting out a deep sigh, she reads it. Her heart gets caught in her throat. Her eyes start to tear up. She lets out a breath and gently lowers the letter. Her sister waiting for her reaction.

“I have to go,” she mumbles.

“Go where?” her sister asks, but she’s already up reaching across the bed to get her bag, “Wait! Where are you going?”

“I have to go to him,” she shouts over her shoulder as she barrels down the stairs, her sister following after her.

Her mother blocks her way, “What’s going on? Why are you running?” She tries to move past her mother, but she latches on to her arm. 

“I need to go to him,” she cries, trying to pry off her mother’s hand. “Go to him? We’re leaving in a few hours and you want to go to him?” her mother screams, “I can’t believe how selfish you’re being right now.”

She yanks her arm away from her mother’s grip, pain shooting up, making her wince. She glares at her, “If this is being selfish, then I’d gladly be selfish.”

“How dare you talk to your mother that way!”

“Why can’t I just be with him?” she said, tears streaming down her face. Her breaths coming out in shallow gasps, “For the first time ever, I’ve finally found someone who loves me, for me. Someone who makes me happy. Someone who says that they’d wait forever for me to return.”

She brings a hand up to wipe away the tears and sees that she’s still holding on to the letter. She lets out a chuckle, her eyes gaze longingly at the crumpled paper, “I love him.”

“Let her go.”

They all turn to the new arrival in the room. Her father coming to stand next to her mother, placing his hand on her shoulder, “Let her go to him.”

“But— ”

“She’s old enough to make decisions of her own,” her father said as he looked at her.

She rushes in to hug him. Her happiness overflowing, her love finally free. She cries in his arms, “Thank you, daddy. Thank you!”

Pulling away, her father uses his thumbs to wipe the tears from her face, “I just want you to be happy. If being with him brings you happiness, then I give you my blessing.”

She turns to look at her mother, who was decidedly trying to keep her own tears at bay. She reaches out a hand to her, her mother hesitating for a second before bringing her own hand to grasp hers.

“Mom, I just want you to know that I love you and I’d do anything for you. I’ve always done what you ask of me,” her hand giving her mother’s a light squeeze, “but just this once, let me do something for me.”

A pause, “Go.”

She launches herself into her mother’s arms, hugging her so tight, thanking her again and again.

“I’ll call you,” she says as she leaves through the front door. 

She sprints towards the far-end curb, eyes searching the many parked vehicles. She mentally curses, she doesn’t have time to go back and retrieve her car keys.

“TAXI!” she shouts, flagging down passing cabs. None of them seem to be vacant. She's starting to get desperate and frantically waves her arm about trying to get the drivers' attention, silently praying for a miracle to happen about now.

Finally, a cab stops a few feet in front of her. She rushes towards it before the passenger can even get out. Yanking the door, she startles the man alighting. She gets in and instructs the driver where to go. 

Her mind was racing. She didn’t know whether or not he’d be where she thought he was. She was trusting her instincts now. 

When the cab came to a stop right outside a diner, she gets out after paying her fare. Approaching the entrance, she comes to a stop. 

Would she find him here? If not, where would she go next? She shook her head, pushing away any doubt. She’d find him, even if it took her forever.

She pushes the door open, scanning the room. She breathes out a sigh of relief as she catches sight of him in one of the booths towards the back. He hasn't noticed her yet. His head is bent down, his shoulders slumped. Her heartbeat starts to pick up pace. Her palms begin to sweat. Her breaths come in short gasps. 

She's hesitating again. 

Taking in a deep breath, she prays to God for courage. Squaring her shoulders, she approaches him. When she is beside the seat across from him, he finally takes notice of her.

“Is this seat taken?” she asks.

He stares at her, eyes taking in her face. She stares right back at him, gaze never wavering. 

“Depends,” he says in reply, “are you planning to stay?” The meaning behind those words doesn't go unnoticed by her. She slides into the booth and places her bag on the seat right next to her, her arms settling on the table. 

She smiles at him, “Yes.”

“Good,” he says as he reaches out across the table to take her hand in his.

End.