Love

They walked slowly, hand in hand, towards the sinking sun.
Their feet sank in the wet, white sand, and left a deep mark as they moved ahead.
He put his arm on her shoulder.
The sun was nearly down.
The horizon, a deep orange, slowly turned violet, and started fading into darkness.
He looked at her, held her hand, kissed her on the lips.
Then she saw him slip his hand out of hers, turn around and walk away.
She never saw him again.

Today as she breathes through the last hours of her loveless life, she wonders.
She wonders how things would have been if he hadn’t left.
If she hadn’t asked him to.
“Is he still alive?
Does he remember me?
Think about me?
Does he hate me?
Has he forgiven me?
Does he remember me?
Does he remember me?...”
Her breathing becomes heavier, scantier.
And then she suddenly cries out his name…after all these years…and moves on to the next world.