We Can Work it Out

Oscar was nervous. The butterflies in his stomach were just like the ones he had when he saw her message on his phone just a few nights before. He traded the bouquet of flowers he held from one hand to the other to wipe the sweat from his palm. They were yellow because that was her favorite. He remembered that from all those years ago. It had been 3 years since they were last together in the same room. That was when they broke up. Not a very happy memory for him.For the last three years he had listed all the ways he could have made things better. Maybe she was just using the lies as an excuse to leave him. At one point he had wondered if it was because he was from Africa. Maybe their cultures were just too different. But that would have made her into the liar and he never wanted to do that even if it was just in his head.

 Now he hoped that waiting for her on the front stoop would pay off a little better. When he saw her name pop up on his phone his heart had fluttered right along with the butterflies in his stomach. A faint tinge of regret for the way he had treated her in those early days had teased his mind and tempted him not to accept the friend request for just a second.

“I think I’ve seen a ghost,” her voice was unmistakable coming from behind him just as he realized he was facing the closed door.

He turned to face her. “Your hair is longer,” he said.

“Things change,” she said. “Are those for me?”

He blinked and looked down at the flowers. “Yes...well, of course they are.”

She hesitated a little before taking them. “Thank you.”

“Sorry to surprise you like this,” he wondered if he should go.

“No. It’s fine! Come in,” she jogged up the steps and got her keys out to unlock the door. “Come in, we can’t stand out here in the cold the whole time.”

Once inside, she seemed to warm to him taking off her coat and scarf. This made him less nervous. “Do you want some coffee or something?” she asked.

“I’ve missed you,” he blurted out.

Her expression changed and she crossed her arms. “Why didn’t you ever try to talk to me again then?”

“I thought you would be taken,” he said.

She nodded and smiled a little. “I missed you too.”

“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” he said.

She nodded and looked at the flowers in her hand. “I could have used that three years ago. Why now?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said.

“There’s one difference. I wanted to stay with you to begin with,” she said.

“How was I supposed to know that when you’re the one who left?”

“I wasn’t married to someone else.”

He glanced down at the floor. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not about the words. It’s about your actions. You hid your relationship from me for the first six months of our relationship. You were having a baby with someone. How can I be certain that I will mean anything to you when you’ve treated someone else like that?”

He sighed. “You know, I really don’t know the answer to that.”

She took a step closer to him and caught his hand in hers. The familiar feeling of his skin against hers flooded her hand and her heart. “I could give you time,” she said.

He looked into her eyes with disbelief.

“I will always love you. I haven’t forgotten that,” she said.

“Why?”

She smiled. “Because I see who you are. The man that I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

“How could you ever say that about me? I don’t deserve that,” he said.

“You can’t stand to agree with me. Just like always,” the feeling of nostalgia left her heart just as her hand left his.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that. I want to spend my life with you too.”

“You just can’t say it unless I’m threatening to walk away,” she said.

“What do you need to stay with me?” 

“Just you,” she said. “I just need you to be honest and to love me as much as I love you. Actually show me you love me.”

“I can do that,” he said.

“I know you can but will you?”

“I will. Of course, I will. I’ve realized something over these last few years,” he stepped forward and grabbed the flowers from her. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me.” The flowers flew across the room and hit the wall. He grabbed both her hands in his. “I’ve waited for the day when I could say this to you with nothing standing between us. I love you and I want you to be the reason I wake up every day. I want you in my life. I know I haven’t been the best at that before but--”

She pulled her hands away from his and threw her arms around his neck. “Shh, I believe you,” she whispered. “I love you too. I’ve always loved you.” She kissed him and all the separation from the last three years melted away.

“As long as we both want it we can make our life together work,” she said.

“I have no doubt about that,” he said.

“There was never anyone else for me but you,” she whispered.

“I’ve thought about you every day since you left. I made every mistake I could have made,” he said.

“Actually, you did,” she laughed. “But we can work through that.”

“I don’t want to take you for granted ever again. When I saw your friend request it was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I thought I lost you,” he said.

“I don’t want you to either. I promise I won’t let that happen,” she said.

He kissed her this time and it was as perfect as he could have ever imagined.