Chapter theme: 'The one that got away' By Katy Perry
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August 13th, 2031
12:30 pm, Scranton PA
When was the last time someone touched me? I can't remember. I'm sitting at the park on a bench. I scan the park and see Jim. I squint, not believing my eyes. I haven't seen him in years. He looks great.
He's sitting next to a woman while holding a baby. It looks like 2 weeks old. They are smiling while it coos. She looks tired but so happy. He turns to her and tucks a fly away behind her ear, just like he used to do to me. I can't pry my eyes away, tears welling in my eyes. God, it's been 10 years I still can't get over this man. No one has ever touched me or treated me like that since then. I'm so stupid. If I hadn't broken up with him we'd probably be together still- I can't fixate on the what if's.
He looks over and I dart my eyes away. I see him kiss her while gently handing off the baby in my peripheral. He walks over to my bench
"Vella?" He says and I open my mouth like I'm gonna say something but I can't. "Get up I'm gonna hug you" I stand up and he embraces me. I feel the ring on his finger on my back. It feels like it's stabbing me.
"I missed you" I whisper and he hugs me tighter. He pulls away and looks at me.
"How have you been?" He asks and I shrug "I'm fine, not doing much, I'm a judge in Wisconsin but I'm here visiting my cousin, how about you?" He has a huge smile on his face
"Well I'm gonna sound like an idiot now, that's great Vel! I'm a paper salesman here with my wife, Karen. It sounds so lame compared to you." He points to them on the bench.
"you have a wife and baby, you have more going for you than I ever will" I laugh "you should meet them, but just tell my wife that we were friends." I nod as we walk
We get over to the bench and Jim smiles.
"Karen, this is my friend from high school Vella. And Vella, this is my wife Karen and our baby Marcia" she smiles up at me, she's drop-dead gorgeous. Like eons prettier than me.
"It's so nice to meet you. Marcia is a beautiful Italian name" I say and she tilts her head "hi Vella, are you Italian?" She asks
"Yeah, my mom's side though. That's why my name is Whitlock." She nods. "That's so cool, vellas a cool name," she says
"It's short for velouria" she widens her eyes "wow, kinda wish we used that name" she looks at Jim and he laughs.
"We'll I think Marcia is perfect," I say and she gleams.
"Well it was very nice meeting you Vella," she says and I nod "you too, it was so nice seeing you again," I say looking at him. He smiles and waves as I walk to my car.
I get in and bury my hands in my face, letting tears fall onto the wheel.
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A/n I'd like to thank the people who have stuck with me through thick and thin with this story even when I was rly going through it and couldn't update. I can't believe it's almost over. I love you guys and I can't thank you enough for 1k reads on the stupid little story about a school in New Hampshire. I remember crying when I hit 100 even though I had thousands on my imagine book. This story just means so much to me. Even if it just looks like a story to you when I read chapters it brings me back to times in my life. Some I'd like to forget and some I'd like to savor. All I can't say is thank you for reading.