Without You (Short Story)

Epilogue

Avery

They say that when two people are destined to be together, their souls are programmed to recognize each other across time and space.

It's that feeling you get when you look into someone's eyes and feel something indescribable take control of your whole being, filling every corner of your heart and mind with their light until the only thing you know for sure is that it's for real.

It's when you feel your breath get caught in your throat and your whole world suddenly stops spinning just because of a simple smile, feeling every single fiber of your soul being pulled into that bundle of light.

It's when you catch yourself staring at them when they're not looking - completely oblivious to the fact that they light up your whole life - and you find yourself silently thanking the heavens for sending you the one person who bears the other half of your soul.

That all-consuming love - the one so effortlessly portrayed in all of the countless books and movies - that can transcend anything in this world isn't something that everyone is lucky enough to find. 

Some people have been searching their whole lives. Others have lost hope and have already given up, while some even prefer not to go looking at all.

And then there are the lucky ones, fortunate enough to have found the missing piece to the puzzle of their souls; the mirror image, the one true love.

When I look at Kyle, I feel nothing else but a burst of pure love and adoration at the mere sight of him, and there's nothing I would ever do to change that. It's when you've finally hit the pot at the end of the rainbow that you realize just how much you want to keep all that sunshine for yourself, never willing to let go and let anyone else bask in their light.

It's when your soul reaches out and speaks to that certain person's own, even without any words, that you know it's for real.

Kyle and I are kindred souls; always finding our way back no matter what. We make up each other's whole being; he is the window to my soul as much as I am to his. I love him more than anything else in the world and everything we've gone through together as a couple hasn't worn down that bond; it only made my love for him even stronger than it already is.

And so tonight, I made a special effort to let him know just that.

I've been slaving over the kitchen stove for the past six hours, meticulously tasting, seasoning, and preparing what I envisioned as the perfect home-cooked British dinner. I made sure to make every single one of Kyle's favorite dishes tonight, just because I wanted to make sure that what I had to tell him was made even more special than it already is.

I had just finished laying everything down on the dining table, taking extra care not to spill any of the food onto the beautiful table settings that I brought out for this extra special evening. 

Smiling to myself as I stared at my handiwork, I couldn't help but be proud of myself. I managed to make Kyle's favorite roast beef with gravy and potatoes, two different summer salads, a mini shepherd's pie for the both of us to share, and a triple-layered strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry trifle (which I kept in the fridge to chill until later), all topped off with Kyle's favorite celebratory drink - earl grey tea spritzer. 

The drink was alcoholic of course, which I couldn't even touch even if I wanted to, but Kyle doesn't need to any of know that until much later on into the evening.

The nervous smile that danced across my face at the thought of seeing my husband's reaction to the news grew even wider when I remembered just how far we had come from living hundreds of miles away from each other, to eventually finding our way back together as we worked on picking up the broken pieces of our relationship.