One Love Forever
«Hello. What are you up to? Fancy meeting up? Where? At our café… Perfect, Im already here, waiting for you.» Edward tucked his phone into his pocket, still smiling.
He and Emily had gone to school together. She was beautiful, slenderthe object of his dreams. He, on the other hand, was nothing special, just hopelessly in love. He knew he wasnt tall or handsome, but did love only come with looks? If shed given him a chance, she wouldve seen his other qualities.
He trailed after her like a loyal page. Emily accepted his attention kindly but never returned his feelings. He watched her with one boy, then another, burning with jealousy. In defiance, he dated other girls, but he only ever dreamed of her, unable to let go.
«Hello!» Emily slid into the seat across from him.
Edward had been so lost in thought he hadnt heard her approach.
«Hi.» His desperate joy was impossible to hide, his eyes glued to her face.
«Earth to Edward!» Emily laughed, bright and clear.
He looked away, his chest aching with the urge to hold her. At the next table, a man stared openly at her. Edward barely stopped himself from snapping, *»Shes mine!»* Except she never had been.
«Fetch us some coffee?» Mischief danced in Emilys eyes.
He hurried to the counter and returned with two cups and Emilys favourite pastry. He sat, poured sugar into his coffee, and stirred absently.
«Something wrong?» Emily studied him. The mischief was gone.
«Nothing. Just wanted to see you.» He slid a fridge magnet toward her.
«Thanks!» She turned it over in her hands.
They met here sometimes, in this café steeped in the scent of coffee. They called it *their place*. Ten years ago, in this very spot, Edward had confessed his love. Emily had said he was sweet, but they could only be friends.
«Look aroundso many girls. You could make any of them happy.»
«But not you?» Edward asked.
«Sorry.»
Hed been so angry they nearly fought. Emily warned that if he kept pushing, shed cut him off. Terrified, he backed down. If this was all he gotjust a café, just her presencehed take it. Maybe one day…
After that, Edward buried his feelings. He tried to forget herdated, even married, thinking it would cure him. She saw his wedding photos online, congratulated him sincerely. He didnt reply. Later, he posted honeymoon shots from a tropical island, waiting for her reaction. It took days. Emily mustve been busy. When she finally liked them, she wrote how lovely he and his wife looked, how shed love to visit.
*»You couldve been in her place,»* hed thought bitterly.
He called, asked to meet at the café. They exchanged messages, he sent flowers on her birthday and Mothers Day, brought souvenirs from his holidaysSpain, France, anywhere exotic.
She liked his photos; he mistook her enthusiasm for hope. Emily took the gifts, listened to his travel stories, admired his tan. But whenever he edged toward confession*»I wish youd been there»*shed tuck the souvenir away, thank him, and leave, citing work.
Years passed. He divorcedhis wife couldnt have children, and he wanted them. But Emily had her own life, no room for him. Then she married.
His despair was bottomless. He raged, sought revenge in other women, but nothing helped.
One day, he checked her profile and saw a tiny hand with a hospital tagher sons name, his birthdate. Edward congratulated her, howling inside. *He* shouldve been that childs father.
He married again. When his wife, Charlotte, gave birth to their daughter Lily, he almost believed happiness without Emily was possible. He posted photos, called them his two favourite girls. He avoided Emilys profile.
Finally, hed moved on.
Then he left his phone at home. Charlotte snooped, found old messages with Emily. Nothing damning, but the mere fact… She tracked Emily down, saw his comments under her photos.
That night, Charlotte screamed, accused him of cheating. Why keep messages? Why comment on another womans life? He insisted they were just friends, but she wouldnt listen. She threatened revengeacid, poison.
«You wont.»
«Try me.» Her eyes held terrifying resolve. Terrified for Emily, he promised to cut contact.
They made up, but the air stayed frosty. Even Lilys laughter couldnt thaw it.
Then Emily called. Asked to meet.
He flew to the café. Emily had changedstill beautiful, but dimmed. Her husband was cheating; she wanted a divorce. Tears shimmered in her eyes.
«Your husbands an idiot. What can I do? Want me to talk to him? Or punch him?»
She refused, steadied herself. «How are *you*?»
«Fine. Made another mistake, ruined things with Charlotte. Nearly divorced.»
«But you have Lily!»
«Your husband had a sondidnt stop him. Id leave, but… I cant forget you. Sometimes it *hurts*.»
«What? Youre mad. That was *school*. Were friends.»
«*Your* decision, not mine,» he whispered.
«Edward…» She covered his hand with hers. «I shouldnt have called. Im selfish. I didnt realiseI gave you false hope. I should go.»
«Wait.» He gripped her hand. «You *are* selfish. Blind. You offered friendship, and I took it just to see you. You never cared how I felt. You call when *you* need me. I tried to forget youmarried out of spite. Youre my obsession. Like in *Twilight*imprinted. I cant help it. How much longer will you torture me?»
Emily stared. The quiet Edward had never erupted like this. He stood, tossed cash on the table, and left.
He drove for hours, cursing himself, her, the world. He wanted to scream, floor the accelerator, end the pain.
*Whats so special about her? Beautiful and cold. Shell fade, be alone, regret leaving me behind.*
He stopped calling, liking her posts. From updates, he learned shed divorced.
Months later, they bumped into each other outside a shop. She was with her son. A little rounder, but radiant.
«Hi. Long time. Whereve you been?»
«Nowhere. Still living in the same place. You? Not remarried?»
«God, no. Never again. Its just us now, right?» She smiled at her boy.
«Right,» he agreed.
Edward bit back the words*I still love you.*
«Need a lift?»
«I drove.»
«Let me walk you, then.»
She opened the car door, her son climbing into the back.
«Good seeing you.»
«You too.»
«Bye.» She waved, drove off.
Edward memorised her number plate, followed her, honking, flashing his lights. They weaved like kids until she turned into her estate. He drove on.
«Where were you? Shopping across town? Wheres the food?» Charlotte demanded.
Hed forgotten everything after seeing Emily.
«Met *her* again, didnt you? Shes free now. Want a divorce? Fine! Youre obsessed!»
The split was brutal. Charlotte threatened to bar him from Lily. He gave up the flat, bargained for weekly visits. His mother piled on, blaming him.
One day, he took Lily to a play centre. Too cold for the park. Emily was there with her son.
The children played. *We look like a family. If only.* His chest tighteneddarkness swallowed him.
«Edward! Call an ambulance!» Emilys voice pierced the fog.
*Someones ill,* he thought, then blacked out.
He woke on a stretcher, a weight crushing his lungs.
«Dont worry, Ill take Lily home,» Emily said. Her face swam above him.
«Move aside,» a paramedic ordered. The doors shut.
Emily visited the next day.
«How are you? You scared me. Thought it was a heart attack.»
«Ill godont want to run into your wife. She was vile when I brought Lily back…»
«She wont come. Will you… visit tomorrow?»
Discharged a week later, they sat in the café.
«Should you be drinking coffee?»
«One wont hurt.»
«When you collapsed… I was terrified. I remembered school, your souvenirs, our café… Imagined you gone… Weve known each other so longits like a long marriage. Passion fades, but the bond remains. I think… maybe we could try…»
«Emily.» He couldnt speak.
All these years, and it took a near-death scare to hear *yes.*
The next day, he persuaded her to register their marriage.
«You just divorced. Shouldnt we wait?»
«No. What if you change your mind?»
The wedding was quietjust the café. They postponed the honeymoon. Emily longed to see the ocean, but she refused the places hed been with ex-wives. He suggested the Canarieseternal spring, black volcanic sand, exotic birds. Sometimes, yellow clouds rolled insand blown from Africa.
When her son slept, they lay tangled, listening to the waves.
«Emily, Im so happy.»
«Me too. All that wasted time.»
«Well make up for it. Weve got forever. They walked hand in hand along the shore at dawn, the sand still cool beneath their feet. The sun rose behind them, painting the sky in soft gold and rose, the sea whispering secrets theyd waited a lifetime to hear. Years of silence, of longing, of near missesnone of it mattered now. They had arrived, at last, at this quiet truth: love had never left, only waited. And in the hush of the morning tide, they began again.
