Short Story -  [Write Your Ending Contest]

[The words in bold have been written by @DarknessAndLight , the rest of the story has been written by me. Enjoy ^^]

**

All that was left of it was a picture-tucked away in the corner of one of her drawers, hidden underneath a box, covered by old linens. It wasn't even in good condition. The corners were chipped, the ink was fading and there was a long scratch that ran from one side to the other, connecting them, like a line between two dots, engraved deeply into the paper cutting the man in half.

Man. Man might not have been the right word, but boy wasn't either, the same way she hadn't exactly been a woman back then and hadn't been a girl either. It was during that time in between where nothing was sure but everything was possible.

Nobody knew about the picture. Not her five children, not her nine grandchildren and certainly not her husband. This was all that was left and it hurt to think it had to be hidden clandestinely this way.

Oh, there were pictures of him elsewhere, in their house. He was on many walls. He was even in her bedroom. But he wasn't hers on those pictures the way he was on the one tucked in the drawer. It was her in his eyes, he had said, and even after all these years, after everything, she still believed him.

That picture was all that was left, yes, and it was hidden, but it was better like this. Because she didn't, couldn't share this with anyone else, share this part of him, this small reminder. That was all she had left. On that picture, he was hers, and strangely enough, she was his too.

It didn't matter that they weren't together anymore. Yes it hurt the kind of hurt that could kill you. But that was the way things worked. Sometimes you need to let go of things, of people, who you know would never be a part of your life no matter what you did.

The decision to leave him had been hers, a decision that she still doubted.

Once in a while the irritating question of 'what if' would poke at her brains, forcing her to think over the past and sift through all those memories that where etched within the folds of her heart, never to be forgotten. The laughter hidden in those black and white pictures, the secret smiles they used to exchange while miles apart, still echoed in her mind every time she thought about him.

He was always present within her, in the back of her mind and sometimes in front of her eyes in her dreams.

Even after so many years of non-existence contact she still remembered every detail, every single line on his face, and the crinkles near his eyes when he smiled that soft smile and the glow he always had on his face in her presence. It was one of the things she loved so much about him - he adored her, worshipped her like she was his own Goddess.

The protectiveness he had for her was amazing and it was because of this reason that she always wondered why God had played such a cruel trick on them. Why had he made them a part of the same family? It didn't seem fair, not when they harbored such strong feelings for each other, such feelings of passion that would have set a forest on fire.

She could easily recollect those times when they would slip out of the house during one of his visits, lying to their parents about going on treks, when in fact they would sneak out to the private tree-house they had created for themselves. Those precious moments, filled with sweet talks, loving caresses and soft whispers were a talisman that she held close to her chest when she walked down the aisle in the year 1960.

It was the last time she had laid eyes on him.

There had been no expression on his face then, no lingering sadness, agony or pain of watching the only woman he loved marry someone else. While her heart was breaking on the inside, he stood still, unmoving and unyielding. That sight hurt her more than the screams she longed to hear from him, reflecting the pain she was feeling. She never fully understood why he had acted that way.

Maybe in a way, he did agree with her decision and maybe he understood her decision to abandon their promises and marry someone outside the family. Her fragile heart had feared the society's thoughts, of what they would say if she were to run-off with her first cousin. It was unheard of in those times and looked down upon.

Had she been wrong about it all? Would it have been better to choose him over the talks of society?

Her conscience immediately whispered the answer in her mind, as if it were waiting for her to come to terms with the mistakes she had made, the sins she had committed that couldn't be undone. She sighed.

Images of her husband, children and grandchildren fleeted through her mind, reminding her of what she had, and of what she could have lost if she had chosen him over her parents’ ideal choice. But even though she had created sweet memories with this family, there was always a void, a lack of feeling and detachment within her. There was always a piece missing in her heart, a hole that missed his presence, his scent and face.

She knew that a reunion was out of question and she would have to suffice with just a glance. All she would get was a peek at the person she had fallen in love with twenty years ago, but it was better then nothing...it was better than just staring at an old photo frame lying under piles of dust and linen, thrown away and left to wither through ages of time.

*

The door to her room opened with a loud creak, alerting her that she was no longer alone with her thoughts and she quickly hid the photo under piles of murky and dusty linen.

"You don't have to hide yourself from me." the man whispered, but the words rang loud and clear in the silent room causing she to gasp loudly. She had prepared for this meeting for months and weeks and yet it hadn't prepared her for the torrent of feelings erupting in her chest.

For an old lady, such as her-self this level of excitement had a slight disadvantage to it and she ended up coughing loudly, with her back hunched over and her trembling hand clutching over her heart. She shook her head at the foolish fluttering in her chest, laughing at the way his mere presence was having on her. There was moment to her left side and a shadow fell over her bend form. She didn't need to turn to see who it was; the warmth of his body told her everything she wanted to know.

There had been times when she couldn't bear the thought of having to separate from him and now when he was so close, she was on the verge of collapsing. How pathetic…

Regaining a bit of control over her body she finally managed to face him and take in the sight in front of her.

Like her, he too had become the victim of time, with his hair covered in more grey then black and the skin on his face and hands, hanging loose and crinkled. But in midst of all the old age she could still see the younger version of the boy who had undergone an unusual growth spurt. He still held the same kindness in his eyes and the smile that he gave her was filled with mild happiness.

It made her frown a little. The smile didn’t seem to reach his eyes, just touching the surface and hiding the emotions that were under the surface of the mask he wore. Wasn't he happy to see her?

“Aren’t you happy to see me?” she asked. Her voice cracked at the end of the question, showing him just how much it mattered to her what he thought of this planned meeting. She didn’t care that he was no longer hers to call or that he was now an old man with children and grandchildren, who were just a door away from them mingling with her family.

Hearing the desperation in her voice broke the walls he had put on his face and a slow smile grew on his lips. His clear blue eyes twinkled with mischief and the young boy was more prominent in his soft laughter, raising an eyebrow at the woman who had fallen for his act of indifference.

“David…” she whispered and shook her head, relaxing her stiff posture.

“Yes Lisa…”

“You…stupid old man!” she tried to sound angry but couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her lips. Soft giggles fell from her lips, mixing with the loud chuckles of the old man, as they shared a hearty laugh.

The laughter died down after sometimes and silence once again flowed into the room. There was no moment from within as they both stood still, a few feet apart gazing at each other as they would if they were in a tight embrace, reliving the moments from childhood.

The world around them slowed down and stopped to watch the two lovers. There was no need for them to touch each other or express the happiness that was clearly visible on their faces. No words were spoken and no hugs were exchanged.

It was only their hearts that whispered to each other and sang the song of love together.

**