The state of the weather outside reflected the emotions Yvonne felt within her. The wind gushed and the rain hit the earth with a vengeance. Yvonne stood at the window gazing out to the darkened night, arms wrapped around her. She had known, had felt it for the last couple of days that things were not going well between them. The sudden long distance relationship circumstances had forced them to get into was doomed, and she had known from the very beginning. Yet she loved him. Marcus was the best thing that had ever happened to her in a very long time. He made her complete. He appreciated her, understood her, seemed to know when to back off when she needed the space, and when to come in and wrap his hands around her and comfort her. He was perfect for her. But she had done it again, pushed him away like she had pushed many other people from her life. It wasn’t conscious, that was for sure. God knows how lonely life could get without people to love around you. Yet she always said something, or did something, or didn’t do something that just made the whole thing go down the drain. And as much as she had tried fighting it, it had happened again. The fight had been easier with Marcus around. But then he had gotten a job in a different city, and had moved. One year of going strong had been replace by two months of messy meetings, fights and big rift between them. They didn’t know each other anymore, that was what he had said last time they had talked. He had met someone, he hadn’t said that, but she had sensed it. It had been hanging over them since that day. And now, finally, he was going to tell her. And she was going to have to be strong enough to walk out of here with her dignity intact.

“Sorry about that, needed to take that call.” Yvonne turned and looked into the eyes of the man she loved, the man she was going to have to try to fall out of love with in the next eternity. He walked into the room and placed the phone on the table between them. Six minutes, she noted. They talked for six minutes. Was she the one? What had they talked about?

“Vee?” She looked up to see the questioning expression on his face. He had said something and she had missed it all. “Everything ok?”

“Yeah,” she quickly added a shaken laugh to try to prove a point that was obviously a lie. “What did you say?” He kept his handsome brown eyes on hers as he crossed over and came and stood beside her. Too weak to hold his gaze anymore, she dropped her eyes to look at the top button of his shirt. It was such a cute button; she wondered why she hadn’t noticed it before. He placed both hands on her shoulders and turned her to the window again, hugging her from behind. It was intimate, an intimate moment that she wished could go on forever, yet she couldn’t help but know what was coming.

“It’s the rain,” she said as she moved away from his hold and more towards the window. “Some happy memories there, huh?” She added as she threw him a wan smile. He smiled too, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. It was so classic, she thought. It had been raining the day they had first met, it was raining the day they were to officially break up. She was going to really hate the rain after this.

“Maybe we should figure out if we can come up with something to eat here!” She said as she turned from the window, she was not hungry, but if they could busy themselves doing something else, the doom time would be furthered a little bit. This was his brother’s place, and he rarely ever ate here, that much they knew.

“Maybe we should talk first,” he quickly said as Yvonne had nearly made it to the door. Taking a deep breath, she turned and looked at him. It was time. At least he was sad, he was losing something big, he must think that, that was to be a consolation to her, wasn’t it?

He moved to the seat and waited for her to do the same. She wasn’t sure she could sit for it, she needed to be upright, that was how she always took bad news. But she sat. She had done enough pushing in this relationship, no matter how late it was, it was time she started submitting. She sat opposite him and placed a small smile on her lips and waited…

The silence that followed, and the troubled gaze that had been previously held was broken by the ringing of his phone. Quickly Yvonne looked away. He picked it up and looked at who was calling, then rejected the call and switched off his phone.

“Sorry…” he said looking apologetically at her.

“It’s ok. We saw that coming.” She said, talking about more than the phone call. He shook his head in agreement.

“I wish it hadn’t changed….if we could go back there…”

“We can’t!” she interrupted, “it’s just not meant to be I guess.” She didn’t see his reaction to that for her eyes were glued to he ground. His silence told her all she needed to know. Abruptly she stood up. She had known it was going to end up like this, yet she couldn’t bring her self to look at him again, to be in the same room with him. “I gotta go!”

“What, with this rain?” He asked as he came to stop her.

“It brings us together, it tears us apart….amazing isn’t it!” A sarcastic laugh followed her words as she swept her hand on her face to wipe of the tears that had started streaming down her face. She tried to move past him but he blocked her way. “Marcus....,”

“You need to know…..am moving back here. Got another offer, a better one.” That stopped her and she found her eyes searching his face. He was moving back? Here? What about her, was she moving with him too? Of course after the disastrous ending he wouldn’t risk another long distance relationship. But how would she cope? That was his unspoken question. Would she be o.k. with it? Would she? She turned away from him and walked back to the window, her sanctuary. Seeing them everyday? She would have to move! Why her, why did SHE have to move? Why not them?

“You’re both moving?” Because if the answer was yes, then she had to move too. It was inevitable.

“No.” That she could handle, at least till she got another apartment.

“She’s lucky. I hope she knows that!” she added as she picked her purse and headed for the main door. Walking away from the man she loved, walking away from love.

►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►►

She had been standing at the corner of the streets for about five minutes. The tears that ran down her cheeks dutifully covered by the raindrops that soaked her face. The pain in her chest increased with every happy memory that floated in her mind, and her regrets just seemed to increase by the minute. She looked down at her watch and noticed it had stopped. Great, she had forgotten it was not water resistant. She nearly removed her phone from her bag to check the time, but realized it may not be worth it losing the phone too. Chances of a bus coming by were minimal, but she had at least hoped to have gotten a hike by now. The only other option, apart from walking was going back, and even that was not an option. She saw the headlight before the vehicle rounded the corner. Fingers crossed, teeth chattering, she hope this one won't just splash her already wet self as the other two had. The car came to a slow stop beside her then the passenger window slowly slid down.

“You need a ride miss?” A voice called out from inside the car. She couldn't make out how many people were in the car, and if the driver seemed 'safe', but she was desperate. She needed to get out of the rain, out of this neighbourhood, out of anything that would remind her of Marcus.

“Where are you headed,” she shouted back in response. If they were headed anywhere near her street, or even close, she was going to join them.

“I don't know, to eternity maybe.....for as far as you are willing to stay in the ride.” Yvonne looked down in surprise at the hand held out. Sitting on that very familiar rough looking yet gentle hand sat a dark blue velvet box, the rain splashed away at it as if not realizing just how important the piece was.

“Get into the damn car, Yvonne. You know you want to, you know you want this, and I sure as hell am not going to sit back and let you drench in loneliness.” Moments passed as she stared at the velvet dark blue box get wetter and wetter, as she watched the silhouette of the man sitting in the car, imagining his brown eyes boring into hers. What had changed his mind? What had happened? Too many questions, that had driven him off once already. Slowly she reached for the door handle and opened it. Knowing this was going to be one hell of a ride, but she was going to enjoy it, for she had love.