https://youtu.be/_5Knyt5i7-8

Elena looked outside the window of her classroom as she felt the calm breeze blow on her light grey scarf. She traced her fingers across the gold cracks of the vase that sat on the teacher's wooden desk. Inside, she had put in white lilies which she had picked this morning from the meadow. It had become a morning ritual. A bright sun shone through the pane of the glass warming up Elena's tired face. She walked over to one of the students' desks and sat completely still, inhaling deeply and trying to take in every smell, sound, and feeling.

Though the experiences here had been horrifying, Elena had learned so much about compassion, sacrifice, and love. The children were like her own and Aziza had always complimented her motherly personality. 

Something bothered Elena though: why had fate brought her and Andreas together only to be separated again forever? He was actually gone. Unobtainable. It was like he was a dream. A dream that had turned into a nightmare. And a nightmare that never seemed to cease. Was it dangerous getting close to people? Was it better to keep your distance from everyone? Elena's heart had never hurt so much. Her pain made her want to rip her hair out sometimes.

Elena got up and went outside. The sun would be setting soon in the city of Gaziantep. She heard the boys loudly cheer as Adam scored a soccer goal. Fatima was braiding Zainab's hair on the bench while Mariam played on the playground. Ruheena was in the tire swing lost in her own imagination. Elena could almost see Amir in the flower beds precociously observing the pink roses and tulips. Elena painfully smiled. She heard Amal coo in her grandfather's arms as he played with her in the sandpit, the toddler's new obsession. Amal was the only thing that Rizwan had left of his daughter. How he must hurt inside though he always smiled, hiding away his emotional burden.

Elena tried to remember it all. She took her camera out of her bag and took a picture of everyone. The photo could never do justice to the immense bittersweet feeling that enveloped Elena. She had grown to like Turkey. It was stunning at all times of the day. The call to prayer was a reminder that there was hope and rhythm in this world amidst the chaos. She went to visit the masjids with the children. They were so stunningly beautiful. The tessellating shapes and patterns that adorned the walls held so much history and beauty. Elena had always loved the sense of unity in prayer. The way that everyone bowed their heads at the same time and faced the same direction. It was incredible to witness.

She remembered what Andreas had asked her ten years ago in Isla de Flos: "where do you see yourself in ten years?"

"I'm here, Andreas," Elena whispered out loud to herself. "But you're gone."

Elena's longing for Andreas was so drastic that she could actually see a figure in the distance that looked like him. She knew she was hallucinating as she often did when she wanted something or someone to be real so bad.

Suddenly, the kids began to shout and run towards two silhouettes climbing the hill. The sun behind them made them look like mysterious silhouettes. Elena squinted.

Who are they?  Elena thought.

There were deliveries of supplies on Thursdays. But today was a Sunday. She stood up on the front porch and watched them draw nearer. Both of them were tall, muscular men, but one of them had a limp. The children began to shout and laugh. Elena saw one of them turn towards her and stop dead in his tracks. He then hurriedly limped over to her. Elena got up from her chair and pulled the scarf around her head tighter. He was a walking silhouette. The sun directly behind him illuminated. Elena saw his arm was drawn close to his body. It was in a sling. Elena frowned as she watched the man approach.

"Abba!" Elena called to Aziza's father who was still in the sandpit with Amal. "Are we supposed to have visitors?"

"No dear," He frowned and turned to look at the two men approaching.

The man drew nearer and his features became more visible.

Could it be? Elena's eyes widened.

The man looked beautiful. His curly hair softly swayed in the breeze and Elena recognized his gait. When his green eyes came into view, Elena's heart skipped a beat. Perhaps two beats. His dimples gave him away immediately. Her heart started beating fast and she became lightheaded. The man took some time to get to her due to the limp in his leg. Elena stepped down from the porch and stared at the approaching figure. 

It was him. It was Andreas.

It couldn't be. She was hallucinating again, she realized. Maybe she was dreaming. Maybe she was dead. She closed her eyes and opened them up again. He was still there. He stopped a foot in front of her.

"Hey," Andreas said casually, one hand in his pocket, smiling up at a dumbfounded Elena.

Andreas chuckled when Elena couldn't find any words. She was speechless. She steadied herself against the chair behind her. Her legs were crumbling underneath.

"We have to stop meeting like this," Andreas grinned, stepping closer to her.

Elena saw the large gashes on his arms that had been stitched up and the bandage around his head. He had grown a bit of a beard and his curly hair was longer. He looked weak and tired, but he still managed a smile. His eyes were the same bright forest green. Elena cupped her hand to her mouth and began to cry as she saw how terrible he looked with his burns and bruises. It really was him. She stepped towards him and fell into his chest.

"Oh my God! Andreas. It's you," Elena said, feeling his scratched-up face. "It's really you. You're here. You're not dead!"

"I'm not dead, Elena," He grinned at her. "I'm here. I'm right here."

He gently cupped her face in his rough, familiar hand. The whole world faded and it was just them. Elena continued to cry and looked up at him. Then, she smiled and began to laugh while her tears poured down simultaneously as he held her.

"I thought you were gone!" Elena cried out. "They told me you were gone."

"They were wrong," Andreas grinned at her, a tear slipping down his face. "I was hurt, but I hid away. I couldn't find any of you. And so, I ran. I just kept running, Elena. I thought I was going to die. I was bleeding out. But, I was saved. I was saved, Elena. By a nice family who took me in. The whole time I wondered, 'how could fate be so cruel?' To separate me from you."

A large wound ran across his right forearm with 10 stitches. She couldn't imagine the pain Andreas would be in. She buried her head into his warm chest. He wrapped her into a hug with his good arm and he began to cry as well, feeling defeated.

"I thought you were dead," Elena croaked. "I'm so sorry."

They held each other while the sun sank below the horizon. Elena never wanted to let go.

"Aziza's gone," Elena said through her tears. "Amir's gone."

"I know," Andreas said, the pain in his voice was palpable. "I know."

He smiled at her through tears in his eyes. "Oh, Elena. You truly are a mountain. You always give much more than you receive."

He pulled away and cupped her face in his hand again. He was looking into the eyes of a soldier who had valiantly marched into war. A soldier who had the heart of a lion despite being broken several times. A soldier who would do anything for her army. And he fell in love with her all over again.

"You're an amazing woman," He grinned at her.

Elena and Andreas cried some more. They sank to the ground, both feeling so overwhelmed from what had happened. They held each other and pressed their foreheads together. How badly Elena needed this.

https://youtu.be/_5Knyt5i7-8

"Elena, I...I've...I've always been a coward," Andreas looked up at her. "That day you left on the ferry, I couldn't bring myself to say what was in my heart."

Elena looked lovingly at him and ran her fingers along his right cheek. 

"I truly, truly love you," He managed to whisper, his tears running down his face. 

Elena pulled him closer by his shirt and brought him into a long hug. Neither of them pulled away as they embraced for longer. The sun was right behind them, making them look like two silhouettes madly in love with each other.

When they pulled away, Elena could finally confirm he was real.

"I know," Elena shyly smiled. "I do too."

They gazed at each other and in those few moments, they were able to communicate the immense passion and love they had for each other. Elena thought of everything that had happened and was overwhelmed. But, Andreas was there to steady her, to hold her tight.

"Look where we've come," Andreas whispered.

"Don't ever leave me," Elena said quickly. "I'm tired of saying goodbye."

Elena always felt like her life was full of goodbyes. And each goodbye was so unbearable that it left her with a profound pain in her heart that cut through her like a jagged rock. She had learned to compromise and be strong, but sometimes, she wanted to get her way. That when she said hello to someone, there would be no goodbye paired with it.

"I'm not going anywhere," Andreas said, grinning at her. "I'm right here, Elena. Right here. I'll go wherever you go."

Elena smiled and fell into him again.

Andreas was perfect. Everything was so real and easy with him. He was a diamond in the rough. His scent brought back memories. She remembered the salty Caribbean Sea and Andreas's bright, green eyes illuminating in the sunlight. She was transported there for a few moments as they held each other.

Things weren't perfect, but Elena had known life and all its beautiful imperfections. And there was always a rainbow after the rain. And that's why she was still here. Still here to be wrapped in the arms of the man of her dreams, to love and to let go, and to cherish every moment. She had learned happiness was fleeting and memories were being made without her knowing.

She had lost her best friends, her father, a boy who was like her son, and a friend who was like a sister. But, she had saved her friends and herself from addiction and had learned to love again. She had become a beloved teacher and mother figure to the orphans. She learned every child was special and that each student she had taught had awakened a love in her she never knew she had.

And Andreas. Andreas was the love of her life.

She was a drug addict. Her story was already an expected, tragic outcome. But, she broke the cyclone of despair. Never in her life did she think she would be in Turkey, surrounded by a family that was so dear to her and in the arms of a man who loved her so deeply, who saw beyond her haunting past and whose outlook had saved her life many times.

She was grateful for the people who had supported her journey. The people who never gave up on her. They had instilled a resilience within her she never thought she could have.

Never did she think that she would be needed. She always believed this world would be better off without her. But, she was completely wrong.

As they all headed back inside the orphanage, Elena looked back and watched the fiery, orange sky gradually transform into a magnificent sapphire blue.