Behind the Cherry Tree, A Not-So-Short Story

26. Falling Together

"I just.. It's just... he's baaaaaaaaaack!" Tess had wailed all day. Her voice breaking when she said "back", her sobs punctured the sustained vowel.

She'd been in complete shock. She'd been completely torn up. She was a mess that needed back up. All the girls were there in a flash with chocolates and tissues. Around noon-time mum had popped her head around the door asking what we'd like for lunch and was doubly shocked to one- see Leo wasn't there, and two- that Tess was in such bad shape.

"Are you leaving too?" Mum's panic-stricken voice had asked.

I had shaken my head and make motions for her to scat, because then Carrie had fallen apart. By 5 in a afternoon, we had all sobbed, eaten more chocolate than humanely possible (thanks to mum nipping down to the store for us), and listened to Tess' heartwrenching confessions of love for Leo. Multiple times.

Tess was in an understandably difficult position. She was dating Steve, but the love of her young life had suddenly showed up ready to sweep her off her feet and she hadn't told him. 

"Do I," She said between sobs. "Do I just leave Steve? Do I just dump him so that I can be with Leo? I like Steve and all but it's never going to be what Leo and I had." Sob. "How could I have just," gasp "thrown him away like that? What if he decides he doesn't want me after I break up with Steve?"

She'd dissolved into tears countless times. Coaxing her out of her guilt-and-heartbreak-induced (never a good combination) misery, had been more than hard. 

"I love him."

"You're too young to love, Tess baby." Minka had tried.

"But I do! When we're together it's like the world has disappeared and it's just us and it's all ok and no matter what shit is happening it's ok because he'll keep me safe!"

"We are not too young to love!" Michelle spat back in a knee-jerk reation. "I love Dave!"

"Come on." Minka had sighed, clearly uncomfortable with being the only one trying to be realistic.

"Tess, hun, it'll be ok, he's just a guy." Fran tried to reason.

"But he's the guy I want to be with the rest of my life!"

"Then break up with Steve!" I said as gently as I could.

"It's not that simple! Steve will hate me! The group will shun me! What if Leo doesn't want me now?"

"Tess, you either love Leo and nothing else matters, or you stay with Steve and regret it." Carrie adds.

"But I don't want to lose you guys either!" Tess lamented.

"Who said we're going anywhere?" Michelle cried. "Tess we support your decision 100% just don't do any unecessary damage along the way! I mean, as long as your not a bitch about it then why would anyone hate you? Everyone knows you and Leo are meant to be!"

"Come on Tess, we know you really really like Leo. But if you're this torn up about it, maybe you should just stay with Steve? Afterall you do know Steve better and he's not going to run off." Minka rationalised.

"I don't want to hurt Steve. But now that Leo's back I don't know how I could stay with him anymore!"

"Hun, Leo was a fling, a bright burning fling that completely consumed you! Maybe it's for the best that you don't get back with him! Smouldering fires are better long term than a burst of flames that fizzles out in a month or so when you realise you don't really know each other!" Carrie continued.

"Hey!" I had interjected. "This is my cousin we're talking about here. Tess, he's crazy about you and you're crazy about him. Don't be reasonable since when is love reasonable! You've seen 'The Notebook'! You've seen 'Romeo and Juliet'! You've seen 'Moulin Rouge' and all the rest with me! You know that hollywood isn't real life too, but look at this scenario! He's here for you and you agreed with me last night that you could do better!"