Love, Lies and More

He knew it was time. He looked at her as she hugged him tightly. It almost seemed like she was scared to let him go. She was saying something about his stubble. She did this thing where she would talk about a random thing by herself, smile, and then hug him even tighter. He smiled, but he knew he couldn't wait any longer.

They had been together for a little over seven years. They lived in different cities. He hated the fact that they spent very little time with each other, and hoped that one day it would change. That one day the distance between them would disappear for good. That one day they would be able to enjoy time with each other without the fear that one of them has to leave the next day. That one day their story will enter the happily ever after phase.

He looked up at the ceiling. He didn't know what to do. She was animatedly talking about something that happened at work. He knew he was lucky to have her in his life. He didn't want to lie to her, but there was no way out. He couldn't tell her the truth, and the wait was killing him.

The last time they had been together was more than a year ago. If the distance between them had any positive aspect, it was that they still behaved like they were in the first stages of a relationship. It was funny how every time they met, he would be very nervous. The long gaps between each of their meetings always played on his mind when he was just minutes away from meeting her. And then the first hug after those long waits seemed like the best thing in the world. That hug when neither would let go and they would just soak up each other’s scent and their being. She would bury her face in his chest, and he would smell her curly tresses. She would smile without realizing that a smile was plastered on his face also. Not a word would be spoken between the two for a long while. Just the fact that they were together and in each other’s arms would be reassuring. She felt secure in his large arms, while he felt immensely fortunate to just be with her.

He snapped back to the present. He had already waited longer than he should have. He realized she had drifted off to sleep. He slowly slid his hand from underneath her head. He checked again if she was still asleep, and stayed still for a minute. Then he slowly took her hand from his chest and placed it on the bed. Again he checked if he had woken her up. No, she was still sound asleep. He again waited for a minute before he made his next move. He slowly got off the bed. The cot made a creaking sound as he got on his feet. He stole one last look at her, and then tiptoed out of the room.

Once he was out of the room, he rushed to the main door. He opened it as slowly as he could, and stepped out, and closed the door behind him. He looked around to see if any of his neighbours were around. No one was in the hallway. He braced himself to do it.

Parrrrrummprrrrrrrrrrrumprrrrrrrrrummmmparrrrrrrrrr!

He let it rip like there was no tomorrow. He had been holding it in for almost an entire day, and it was just about killing him. Relieved and happy, he opened the door, went back into the room, slid beside her under the blankets, and smiled as he kissed her.

“Why are you smiling so much?” She asked groggily as she awoke and turned towards him.

“Just happy that you’re here”, he said as he smiled again and took her into his arms.