Struggling To Breathe

He felt the beads of sweat trickle down his forehead He hoped she didn’t notice his nervousness For months he didn’t utter a single word to her She looked surprised when their eyes met She didn’t expect to see him that day Trying not to gasp she felt the earth move beneath her feet It was like something out of the movies Everything around them disappeared The people, the house, the trees, the ground All she could see when their eyes met was his heart She wanted him now more than ever So much time had passed and many things had changed Their love never wavered, she knew he could feel it too Struggling to breathe, she could barely whisper a hello “My girlfriend is asleep in the recliner,” he said pointing to the house Staring at his muscular arms and wishing they were still together She replied ‘okay, I can’t wait to meet her” A car approached and the murmur of the engine startled them He leaned his head into the passenger window and she heard him sigh Her legs were trembling as she stood next to him “Stop,” he said in a low voice, “we can’t go back to the past” “I’m sorry I hurt you” She didn’t know where her reply came from The words must have poured from that part of your heart few people ever see “It’s okay, I am sorry we hurt each other” It took every ounce of respect she had for him not to kiss his lips She took a long deep breath and realized what she had to say “If I can only have you in my life as a friend, it’s better than nothing at all” His half-hearted smile let her know their love was still there 05/01/2021