Yours

January 4th

Dear Sophia,

I love you.

I can see you right now. I can see your face. You’re looking right at me. You look like you’re about to smile. I’m so happy. It’s like I’m with you now.

I made sure I had plenty of time today to get everything done and still see you. I remembered there was a camera shop up the other end of the high street where they have loads and loads of old cameras. They have polaroid cameras and ones with really long lenses and tripods and things. I went up there first thing this morning but they said they didn’t develop film. He told me they help people trying to get into photography and those people tend to want to develop and edit their photos themselves. I didn’t really get that. I thought if they wanted to get me into photography the first thing they could do for me was get my photos from my camera. I didn’t say that to him though. I just left. I wanted to find somewhere else while I had time.

I was walking through the high street trying to see which shops had camera stuff in the window. Then I realised that if Boots sold these cameras they probably took the films in too. It would be a bit unfair of them to sell something nobody would be able to use. I’m sure some shops do do things like that but there’s a Boots in so many towns I doubt they’d get away with it.

I went in and checked the photo bit I walked round yesterday. It’s right in the back corner so it wasn’t too crowded as it doesn’t lead anywhere. I could still only find those digital frames and some screens for people to put their memory cards in. I walked around for a while and realised I wasn’t really paying attention at all. I was in the sun tan lotion aisle. I thought I must’ve missed it. I walked down the aisle to where the pharmacy was and noticed one of the tills at the end had a sign up that said one hour photo. I took the camera up to the woman and asked her if she could develop it. I told her it was important. She asked how urgent it was. I said if an hour was the quickest she could do then that would have to do. She told me to come back in an hour and said she would have the photos then.

I left thinking I’d just walk around for an hour. Then I decided I couldn’t risk going back there in an hour as if it took a bit longer than that I might end up missing you. I went straight to Starbucks instead to sit down and wait for you. My chair was empty.

I hardly saw you when you did come in. Loads of people had come in just before you. The queue went quickly though. I could just about see your head moving between the heads of other people in there. It’s lucky we didn’t try and get our picture today. It would’ve been loads more difficult.

I saw you go out the door. I got up and went out too. I couldn’t see you on the high street so I went straight to Boots.

I got there and the woman handed the photos to me and smiled. I wondered if she’d seen them. I felt like she was judging me. I felt like she was thinking I wasn’t good enough for you.

I walked home flicking through the photos. The first few were blurry. They were of the floor and things like that. Then I found the perfect one. It wasn’t blurry at all. You were pretty much looking right at me and you looked like you were about to break into a smile. It was at the exact moment you meant it to be. It’s exactly what I wanted. Thank you so much. It’s perfect.

I’ve taped it to the wall just above my pillow. Now you’ll be the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see when I go to sleep.

I love you.

Yours,

Andrew