LucyInTheSky
We’re just two lost souls, swimming in a fish bowl
It was the warm summer breeze that blew through the low hanging branches of the willow tree that made her mind travel back to a special place. A place that would forever have a permanent place in her heart and soul...
She sat with her back pressed up against the strong wood and absentmindedly, her hands reached up. Her fingers traced the old bark of the tree before she felt something that was not natural. An engraving... She didn’t have to see it to know what it said. It was her own engraving. There in the bark of the tree was a heart etched deep into the wood. In it were two sets of initials; A.J. + E.P. Adam and Emma. She gave a soft sigh before letting her hand drop back down to her side. Where had everything gone so wrong? That was a question that Emma asked herself A multitude of times over the past ten years. It had been ten years ago today when everything had happened.
Ten years. So many things had happened in ten years. She had met someone new, gotten married, had a child... Emma often wondered where Adam’s life had taken him. She remembered that he had had a dream to pursue music. She wondered if he had gotten far with that dream. It wouldn’t surprise her if he had. Adam had always been a go getter. He had always worked so hard for the things he wanted in life. That thought made her sad. Over the years they were together, he had worked so hard to make her happy. And eventually he stopped working so hard, leaving Emma to believe the one thing that broke her heart the most. He had simply stopped caring.
Emma couldn’t really say much on that subject. About how he had quit trying so much. She had done it too. It had just happened. Adam wasn’t completely to blame. And once more, that brought her to the question of what went so wrong.
Emma was pulled out of her train of thought when she saw a figure coming up the long path from the road to the tree. She slowly stood, brushing dirt and grass from her jeans. The closer the figure got, the better she was able to make it out. And the figure she saw took her breath away. It had been such a long time... he had changed so much but he still looked so much like he always had. “Adam...”, she breathed out.
Emma watched as Adam lifted his head, his lips parting in surprise at her presence. Something flashed in his hazel orbs and he stopped in his tracks. The two of them stood there for several moments, their gazes unwavering before a soft smile spread across Adam’s lips. Emma couldn’t help herself... his smiles were always so contagious. She smiled back at him.
The friendly exchange between them gave them both hope that this wouldn’t be so awkward and Adam continued up the path towards the tree. Emma wondered what he was doing here, and Adam wondered the same. The greeted each other, though not like they had been ex lovers. It was like they were greeting an old friend. They had been best friends... From the get go, they were inseparable. They told each other everything and they were there for each other through countless happy times and sad times. A romance blossomed somewhere in between them meeting and them saying goodbye.
“It’s been ten years.”, Adam said to her, looking out at the field that lay ahead of them.
Emma looked up at him with a soft expression, her eyes wandering over his features. “I know. That’s why I’m here. I just... I wanted a place to think and this seemed like the best place to do it.”
Adam looked back down at Emma, a sadness in his eyes. “I come here a lot.”, he admitted. “The first time was a few weeks after we broke up. I was having a really rough time. I didn’t even really mean to come here. It’s just where my heart led me, I guess.” He reached up to press his palm against the engraving on the tree. “It brings me a lot of peace. It takes me back to a really happy part of my life... the happiest part.”
It broke Emma’s heart to hear Adam talking about this. The break up had been hard on both of them, but it had been a mutual decision. “Adam... it was a happy time. But it didn’t end happy. I don’t even know why it ended... but it wasn’t good.” She sighed and looked down at her feet. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that and the only thing I can come up with is that we both stopped caring about each other.”
It was silent for a few moments before Adam spoke up again. His voice was quiet and it cracked slightly. He was trying to keep himself from tearing up. “I don’t think that’s it. I don’t think we ever stopped caring about each other. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here.” He didn’t really know why they had fallen apart like they had, but he knew it wasn’t because they had stopped caring. “I think sometimes good things have to come to an end but that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. I think things come to an end so that way our hearts can experience new happiness. In order for another chapter to start, one has to end.”
Emma had started to cry, her heart breaking all over again. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “But I thought our story was never going to end. We were so happy. I wish there was something I could have done or said...” She looked up at him, giving him a sad smile. “Are you happy Adam?”
He couldn’t help himself. Adam had always hated to see Emma cry. He reached up to her cheeks, wiping the tears away from her soft skin. “I’m happy sometimes. I have my days when I feel down and those are the days that I come here. And being here helps me feel happy.” He turned his body to face her, pointing to the engraving on the tree. “This tree is going to fall down one day, and with it will go this engraving. But just because we won’t be able to see it anymore, doesn’t mean it was never there. And just because we broke up doesn’t mean that we never meant anything to each other. You still mean everything to me, Emma. I don’t think that feeling will ever go away and those are the things that can last forever. When you feel so deeply for someone... you can’t just forget that.”
He always knew just what to say to make her feel better. Emma’s eyes traveled to the engraving before they moved to Adam’s face. Her eyes still looked sad but she smiled up at him. “You still mean everything to me too. Maybe we weren’t meant to be forever, but there was a reason we were together. Being with you and then being without you... it taught me to never take things for granted. And to enjoy the happy times while you can.”
“And that happy things can still come of bad things.”, he added in. Emma nodded in agreement, giving a little sniffle. “I’m happy I saw you today. And I hope that maybe someday we can be friends again.”
The two of them hugged and shared one last look before parting ways. There was still a heaviness in their hearts, but now it was accompanied by a feeling of hope.
She sat with her back pressed up against the strong wood and absentmindedly, her hands reached up. Her fingers traced the old bark of the tree before she felt something that was not natural. An engraving... She didn’t have to see it to know what it said. It was her own engraving. There in the bark of the tree was a heart etched deep into the wood. In it were two sets of initials; A.J. + E.P. Adam and Emma. She gave a soft sigh before letting her hand drop back down to her side. Where had everything gone so wrong? That was a question that Emma asked herself A multitude of times over the past ten years. It had been ten years ago today when everything had happened.
Ten years. So many things had happened in ten years. She had met someone new, gotten married, had a child... Emma often wondered where Adam’s life had taken him. She remembered that he had had a dream to pursue music. She wondered if he had gotten far with that dream. It wouldn’t surprise her if he had. Adam had always been a go getter. He had always worked so hard for the things he wanted in life. That thought made her sad. Over the years they were together, he had worked so hard to make her happy. And eventually he stopped working so hard, leaving Emma to believe the one thing that broke her heart the most. He had simply stopped caring.
Emma couldn’t really say much on that subject. About how he had quit trying so much. She had done it too. It had just happened. Adam wasn’t completely to blame. And once more, that brought her to the question of what went so wrong.
Emma was pulled out of her train of thought when she saw a figure coming up the long path from the road to the tree. She slowly stood, brushing dirt and grass from her jeans. The closer the figure got, the better she was able to make it out. And the figure she saw took her breath away. It had been such a long time... he had changed so much but he still looked so much like he always had. “Adam...”, she breathed out.
Emma watched as Adam lifted his head, his lips parting in surprise at her presence. Something flashed in his hazel orbs and he stopped in his tracks. The two of them stood there for several moments, their gazes unwavering before a soft smile spread across Adam’s lips. Emma couldn’t help herself... his smiles were always so contagious. She smiled back at him.
The friendly exchange between them gave them both hope that this wouldn’t be so awkward and Adam continued up the path towards the tree. Emma wondered what he was doing here, and Adam wondered the same. The greeted each other, though not like they had been ex lovers. It was like they were greeting an old friend. They had been best friends... From the get go, they were inseparable. They told each other everything and they were there for each other through countless happy times and sad times. A romance blossomed somewhere in between them meeting and them saying goodbye.
“It’s been ten years.”, Adam said to her, looking out at the field that lay ahead of them.
Emma looked up at him with a soft expression, her eyes wandering over his features. “I know. That’s why I’m here. I just... I wanted a place to think and this seemed like the best place to do it.”
Adam looked back down at Emma, a sadness in his eyes. “I come here a lot.”, he admitted. “The first time was a few weeks after we broke up. I was having a really rough time. I didn’t even really mean to come here. It’s just where my heart led me, I guess.” He reached up to press his palm against the engraving on the tree. “It brings me a lot of peace. It takes me back to a really happy part of my life... the happiest part.”
It broke Emma’s heart to hear Adam talking about this. The break up had been hard on both of them, but it had been a mutual decision. “Adam... it was a happy time. But it didn’t end happy. I don’t even know why it ended... but it wasn’t good.” She sighed and looked down at her feet. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that and the only thing I can come up with is that we both stopped caring about each other.”
It was silent for a few moments before Adam spoke up again. His voice was quiet and it cracked slightly. He was trying to keep himself from tearing up. “I don’t think that’s it. I don’t think we ever stopped caring about each other. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here.” He didn’t really know why they had fallen apart like they had, but he knew it wasn’t because they had stopped caring. “I think sometimes good things have to come to an end but that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. I think things come to an end so that way our hearts can experience new happiness. In order for another chapter to start, one has to end.”
Emma had started to cry, her heart breaking all over again. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “But I thought our story was never going to end. We were so happy. I wish there was something I could have done or said...” She looked up at him, giving him a sad smile. “Are you happy Adam?”
He couldn’t help himself. Adam had always hated to see Emma cry. He reached up to her cheeks, wiping the tears away from her soft skin. “I’m happy sometimes. I have my days when I feel down and those are the days that I come here. And being here helps me feel happy.” He turned his body to face her, pointing to the engraving on the tree. “This tree is going to fall down one day, and with it will go this engraving. But just because we won’t be able to see it anymore, doesn’t mean it was never there. And just because we broke up doesn’t mean that we never meant anything to each other. You still mean everything to me, Emma. I don’t think that feeling will ever go away and those are the things that can last forever. When you feel so deeply for someone... you can’t just forget that.”
He always knew just what to say to make her feel better. Emma’s eyes traveled to the engraving before they moved to Adam’s face. Her eyes still looked sad but she smiled up at him. “You still mean everything to me too. Maybe we weren’t meant to be forever, but there was a reason we were together. Being with you and then being without you... it taught me to never take things for granted. And to enjoy the happy times while you can.”
“And that happy things can still come of bad things.”, he added in. Emma nodded in agreement, giving a little sniffle. “I’m happy I saw you today. And I hope that maybe someday we can be friends again.”
The two of them hugged and shared one last look before parting ways. There was still a heaviness in their hearts, but now it was accompanied by a feeling of hope.