“I honestly don’t know James,” she sighed deeply.
“Well, do you think it will even work long distance?” I asked, scared of her answer, I held my breath as she hesitated.
“I don’t know,” she started unsure, “I really want it to work but I think it’s going to be hard and I don’t…,” she said slowly, looking off.
“Do you even want to try?” I asked, needing to know. She looked back at me now.
“Are you breaking up with me?” she asked in shock. What?
“God, no!” I answered fast, that was not what I wanted at all, I just wanted to be on the same page.
“Okay, good.” She laughed, “Yes, of course I want to try! I’m scared how it will go as well, but I think if we both want this, it can work,” she assured me.
“Okay,” I said, still feeling anxious.
Michaela
It was here. The day we had been dreading was upon us. I was leaving today and I still had no idea what was going to happen next. I was also scared. Once I got onto that flight the next chapter of my life would be starting, I’d be on my own. Dad was going to meet me in Paris and help me get settled in the first week but then he’d be gone and I’d have no one but myself. I’d be in a foreign country, with no family or friends and that was scary on its own, not to mention I had no idea how to have a long-distance relationship. I said my good byes to Gran and the Kirks, James was going to drop me off at the airport. We walked to the check-in kiosk and I got my ticket and checked my bags, now all I had to do was go through security and wait to board but James wouldn’t be able to do that with me.
“So, this is it, I guess.” James frowned.
“Yeah, I guess it is,” I said, my chest feeling heavy. We both looked at each other, our eyes glassy. Neither of us wanted to go through this or for our relationship to change.
“Have a good flight, let me know when you land,” James said, pulling me into his chest.
“I will,” I responded, my throat constricted. Why did this have to be so hard? “I love you,” I told him, hugging him harder, not wanting to let go. “This past year has been the best year of my life. I’m going to miss you so much.” My eyes teared as he loosened his hold on me, his eyes equally as misty.
“I love you and we are going to make this work, I’m so proud of you for following your dream,” he said and then pulled me back in, kissing me deeply. I wish the kiss could have gone on longer but I had a plan to catch.
“Bye,” I managed to whisper, as I let go of him at last. After one last kiss, I started to the security line.
“Bye,” he waved and mouthed, I love you. I finally had what I’d wanted so badly and I was leaving him behind, it felt wrong, like I was leaving a piece of myself. I just hoped I’d be able to get it back and wasn’t leaving it for good.
James
Michaela had been gone three weeks already. We spoke daily, and videoed and sent each other pictures whenever we got the chance but it was hard with the time change and just not actually being with one another. We went from seeing each other every day and spending all our time together to being thousands of miles apart. I missed her touch, her scent, I missed just holding her and it was killing me. Not to mention, I had no idea what to do with my life. I hadn’t been accepted to the two schools I’d applied to and I still had no idea what I wanted to be, I also hadn’t secured a job yet and didn’t even know where to start there. I knew I had to get a job but had been waiting for Mickey to leave first, so that I wouldn’t miss any time with her, and now it was three weeks later and I wasn’t any closer to having a job as I had been before.
“What do you like doing?” June asked after dinner, as we sat on the couch watching TV.
“I don’t know, I like movies, comics, video games, cars.” I shrugged.
“Well no offense but you are not a great actor and you are definitely not great at math, so I don’t see you working in film or designing video games,” she said thoughtfully. “You could be a mechanic like dad, but you’ve never seemed to want to follow in his career before,” she continued. She was right, I liked cars but I didn’t want to work on them all day. “You’re good at history and you like it too!” she said suddenly.
“Yeah, so?” I shrugged.
“Why don’t you teach?” she asked, seeming to think it was a genuinely good idea.
“Me teach?” I laughed.
“Yeah, why not?” she asked confused, she was studying to be a teacher.
“I hated school,” I told her, even though she knew this.
“Yeah, except for history class. You wouldn’t be the student anymore, you’d be the teacher. You’d get to talk about history and make it fun for people like you who don’t like school.” She explained. I thought about that hard, that could be cool. “Or you could work in a museum or something,” she added. It was all something to think about. All I knew was the one thing I wanted to be, was with Mickey.
“I wish Mickey was here,” I told June as our movie ended. Mickey was long asleep and would be waking in a few hours, when I’d be asleep.
“Why don’t you go see her?” June asked me. Go see her? “I mean, it’s not like you have anything going on here.” She nodded, gesturing around us. She was right, I had graduated, I had no job and nothing keeping me here. Mickey was the only thing I had going for me in my life at the moment and she wasn’t even here.
“I don’t have any money.” I frowned at the reality of it.
“You’re creative, I’m sure you could find a way.” She smirked getting up to go to bed and leaving me to think about this. Could I go be with Mickey? Was that a possibility? Because if so, that’s exactly what I was going to do.
Michaela
I was bringing my groceries back to my apartment. Groceries for one. It was pretty sad and lonely here. My first week here with dad had been great and we’d had so much fun exploring and doing some touristy things but then he had to go back to work and I was alone. I missed everyone back home, but mostly I just missed James. The past seven weeks had been very hard and lonely. I wished so much he could be here and I didn’t have to do this all alone, that we could do this together and enjoy it all together because in actuality it was really cool here.
I was struggling to open the front door of my building, with my large paper grocery bag held in one arm, when a man stopped behind me.
“Bonjour,” he said, friendly. I turned my head to smile and dropped my bag to the ground, the contents spilling out but I didn’t care. I jumped into his arms.
“What are you doing here!” I screamed in shock and happiness.
“I missed you.” He smiled and then took my face and kissed me passionately. “I hated being apart from you,” James said as we came up for air.
“Me too! But how did you even manage to get here?” I asked in awe.
“I sold my car.” He grinned. What?
“But you loved that car!” I exclaimed in shock. I felt bad, he loved his car and driving and he’d only just gotten his licence back, and now he wouldn’t even be able to use it.
“I love you more.” He smiled kissing my cheek and hugging me tightly.
“How long are you even here for?” I asked eager, I didn’t want him to ever go. I was starting class in three weeks.
“As long as you’ll have me.” He smirked.
“Forever!” I laughed overjoyed. But when he smiled even wider, I got curious. “No, really when do you have to go back?”
“I don’t. I realized I don’t have a dream for myself yet, you’re my dream, so I thought I’d follow you and be there for yours,” he chuckled, “I bought a one way ticket and I applied for a working visa and a job giving tours in English for tourists, and I got both.” He grinned beaming now. “So, now it’s up to you and if you want me here, and being a part of your dream,” he said, leaving it all up to me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I really had two angels looking out for me and granting me all my wishes.
“Of course, I do! You are my
dream, it has always been you.” I told him feeling pure happiness as he kissed me, and brought me home once more in his embrace. He was my home, he was all I needed. Now I really was living my dreams, I couldn’t imagine my future looking any brighter.
I looked down to a pair of the most beautiful hazel eyes looking back at me, she had her father’s gorgeous eyes and the names of three amazing women. I’d had a tough childhood but my life had been so rich and full of love and happiness in spite of all of that. I moved my red and white comforter, the one that had always been there and lay my sleeping beauty down to rest.
“Is she down?” James asked tiptoeing into our room, the room that I’d had since I was a child. I had kept this as our room, even after Gran had passed much had stayed the same in this loving home.
“She is.” I smiled to him as he wrapped his strong, warm arms around my waist and we smiled down at our perfect little angel.
“She’s beautiful,” he said as in love with her as I was.
“She is,” I agreed.
“I still can’t believe she’s ours and how this is our life. However did I get here?” he smiled and kissed my head.
“I believe it all started with a next-door neighbour, or maybe we have Mrs. Becker to thank, or maybe Paris.” I laughed. I didn’t know when I knew for sure James was the one and we were going to spend our lives together forever, maybe part of me just always did. Maybe it was just meant to be, it had always been him.
The End
I had so much fun writing this book years ago, when I was being friend-zoned and it’s nice to have finally finished it. Thank you to my first love for giving me something to write about and to my friends for helping to get me through it. Thank you to my editor Stephanie, it is always a pleasure working with you! To all my readers, thank you for your support and I hope you enjoyed reading this book!
Corina Eichholz is a Canadian author from Montreal. She enjoys spending her free time with her daughter and travelling, when not cuddled up with a good book.
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