𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚂𝚊𝚍𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜

Chapter-62

This was it. It was the actual final goodbye, he had parked his car and I was waiting for him. I was rehearsing how I should say bye in my head, should I offer him a handshake or should I give him a hug?

"Let's walk around, I'll drop you home I have to be at a place in the same direction." He said.

We walked by the train station, without meaning to I chucked looking at it. That made him ask me what happened, "nothing, just thinking about how much hope I had pinned to this place."

"I mean, I've let you down at this exact spot way too many times."

"Stop saying that! In fact I need to thank you. I want to thank you for giving me what were the happiest moments in my otherwise very dull life, thank you for giving me a story I could share to the world and I'm forever grateful for the memories we've made together that I will hold close to my heart." I smiled, I was saying so much just at the top of my head, everything I had rehearsed was already leaving my brain.

"Catching up with you felt nice, it was like a warm hug. You're a great guy and I'm sure you're going to find someone who will not make loving them feel like an uphill battle. Very selfishly, even after all of this a part of me hopes we can be acquaintances, just checking in on each other once in a while, I want you to be a part of my life, I can't just erase you" I hugged him, the warmth his body radiated felt so familiar, I was already getting nostalgic for a moment that hadn't even passed yet. It was so unfair this was the last time I'd get to be this close to him.

"Why do I have to find someone else?" He looked at me in confusion, "I don't want to say goodbye to you." He rested his head on mine, pulling me closer to him than I already was. I could hear his heartbeat.

I couldn't say anything. I just wanted to stay like this for a moment.

"You and I were supposed to grow old and wrinkly together, not just be acquaintances. This isn't fair."He sighed.

I looked at his eyes, it was so hard to hold back tears right now. "You went above and beyond, you did a lot to keep this alive. The way things ended are because I'm not a flexible person, I get scared of things and I end up ruining everything."

"You don't ruin things Emiko, you don't ruin anything. I think your ability to see beyond what's happening in the moment is incredible."

"Some people would call it a case of undiagnosed anxiety disorder but this works too." I laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

I saw a small smile curl on his lips, "If you could, is there something you'd do differently? Maybe like meeting me halfway? Work out a compromise?"  He asked, letting go of me.

"If it's for you yes of course. I can come meet you halfway. If I could do things differently, not get in my head so much, not contradict myself so much."

What happened next left me in so much confusion. He froze, he just stopped walking and got down on one knee, I thought he had to tie his shoelace but he was pulling something out of his pocket. I tried to get him off the ground in a hurry, we were in a very public place what the hell was he doing?

"Baba gave me this one day, she wanted you to have it. But she changed her mind, she said I needed to have something to remember you by. I must have looked so pathetic that she had to give me something she refused to sell me at first." He laughed

I already knew exactly what he was talking about, my heart had sunk a little when I hadn't seen it waiting for me in the display case. I was surprised that he was the person she had ultimately given it to, why was he on one knee and refusing to get up? Was he losing it slowly?

"But I don't want to hold onto this just to remember you. This belongs to you. So does my heart."

"Charles, please..." I sighed.