Collection of One Shots

A Promise to Keep (Thiago Alcantara)

I sat by the high stool at the bar. It was the 24th of December, Christmas eve and I was alone. I didn't have to be but the one person that I wanted to be with, he wasn't here. I wasn't stupid, I wasn't going to drink my sorrows away. What good would that have done anyway? I would regret everything I would have done while I was out of my senses. I was going to pile up on the comfort food instead. I ordered a slice of cake with some coffee and waited for the waiter to bring it. He brought it soon enough. I took my fork and began scooping up my cake on it. I put it in my mouth but barely tasted it. My mind was elsewhere. Thinking back to the happy days where he was my world and I was his.

We were the type of couple that never needed anyone's approval. We just did what made us happy and we never cared about what other people thought. We were made for each other, or at least I thought. We were young and he said he had to become a professional player. I understood that, I had known about his passion for football my entire life. I supported him, I believed in him and I still do. I loved that he had such love for something, it intrigued me and I couldn't help but just admire him for it.

I thought back to the day when he came to tell me he was going to play in a league game. Sure it wasn't close to the first league he plays in these days but on that day, for him, it was the most important thing in his life.

"Except you," I still remembering him telling me. I had a small sad smile on my face. Those were all just memories now.

When he said he needed to train harder to make the top team, I thought I understood what he meant but I guess I didn't. We barely saw each other anymore. I was busy studying in college too and as much as I tried to stay in touch with him we grew apart. I still had faith though because he told me before all of that, that once he made it we could be back together.

"I promise," he told me, "We'll be together in the end."

I gave a bitter chuckle. What a lie that was. A couple of months later, he had found someone else. Now here I sit, it's been 3 years and I heard he is marrying her.

I tried to understand it but I couldn't. We were perfect, I knew him better than anyone else. I knew that and he knew that. I looked down and noticed I was already finished with my slice of cake. I instantly ordered another one and made sure it was double chocolate.

I just couldn't come to terms with reality. I knew he would never be mine again but I refused to give up that little glimmer of hope. It was pointless, I knew I was believing in the impossible but I still did.

"Here," the waiter said as he served me the slice of cake.

"I hate Christmas," he said looking as depressed as me.

"Tell me about it," I said taking a huge chunk of cake. I thought about all the Christmases we had spent together but it stopped 3 years ago.

"All this crap about "miracles can happen"," the waiter said in a tone of anger mixed with unhappiness as he walked away to another table.

The waiter had a point. If miracles do happen then, he would appear then wouldn't he? And I didn't see him anywhere. I thought about crashing the wedding, being the one who says I don't agree to it. I would run up to him and say "I love you and I know you love me, don't marry her" but I also knew if he really loved me then he would have come back. He would not have been marrying her. It is hard to accept but if I really loved him, I had to accept his happiness was with someone else. I looked down at my plate. I needed another piece of cake.

About 2 hours later, I had eaten every cake they had. I didn't feel good at all and I needed to go home. I was still down about everything but I would have to learn to manage and even though I didn't know if I was strong enough, I had to force myself to be. I was about to stand up when I heard a song.

Our song.

"Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all other people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you"

And I realised I wasn't strong enough. I wanted to be, I did everything to try but it hurt. It hurt so much to see all those images burning in my mind and knowing that for the rest of my life that's all they'll be. I felt the tears but I didn't bother stopping them. I felt like I needed myself to feel this pain, I needed to feel the hurt if I wanted to force myself to move on.

I sensed that someone had sat down next to me but I couldn't be bothered. I was breaking, or now already broken, nothing seemed to matter anymore.

"It's our song," I heard a voice say and it was one I could never forget. I was frozen wondering if I was just hallucinating. I didn't want to turn my face because I didn't want to find out that it was all in my mind.

I saw a hand place a ring on the bar table in front of me.

"It's over," he said. I had to look, I couldn't take the emotional rollercoaster any longer. I turned and there he sat. Right in front of me. The minute he saw my face, his expression changed. He seemed hurt, but hurt because of how he saw me. That my pain was his. He comforted me as he put his hand on mine and it felt like an electric shock to me. How long has it been since he had touched me?

"Who did this to you?" he asked mortified seeing my tears and my body trembling.

"You," I whispered and he looked like he had regretted the last 3 years of his life.

"Me?" he said his voice breaking and his eyes full of anger at him himself, regret and sadness all in one.

"I made you a promise exactly 6 years ago," he said and I looked at him knowing exactly which promise he was talking about.

"I want you, I've always wanted you even when I was with her. I don't know why I did it. Ever since I left you, every night I thought of you. I tried but everything I did reminded me of you. Even all of my football, it means nothing without you," he said and I turned to look at him. He wiped the tears from my eyes with his fingers gently.

"I'm playing my first La Liga game when we get back," he told me.

I smiled at him and I felt genuinely happy because I knew he had worked his entire life for this.

"I finally made it and I made a promise that we will be together in the end," he said, "So here I am hoping, praying that after everything I have put you through, that you still love me."

Of course I still did.

"Thiago," I said with a broken voice but he knew just by the way I said his name that I still loved him. I saw him smile, the smile that was only meant for me.

"I owe you everything and you owe me nothing except one thing," he said and I looked at him wondering what he wanted from me.

"An answer," he said as I looked at him confused.

"Will you be my wife?" he asked as if he had wanted to ask me all along.

I stared at him still too shocked to reply.

It seems miracles did come true.