Author's Note: This is a short story written after reading three short stories by well known authors. It incorporates a self defense mechanism and is a story of what good comes to those who wait.
All she ever wanted was love, a true love that would provide an escape from the harsh reality of the world, that would make her a better person, and most importantly, that would change her life.
As she sat in her living room, the eerie quiet surrounded her and made her mind run wild. Everything had appeared so perfect at the beginning, as if nothing could interrupt this miraculous fantasy that had become a reality. She never imagined that anything could go so wrong or end so abruptly. Yet she always had an insecure feeling around Aaron, and while reminiscing about the old times, she realized this must have been her conscience trying to guide her.
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She was young, searching for the answers to all of life’s questions. Like many others, she believed this would come through true love, through that one person that would change her world. She supposed she had rushed into it and never truly realized the vast amount of people that had something to offer her. Aaron seemed to be exactly what she was looking for; he was an educated man, knowledgeable about many subjects, a business man, plenty capable of supporting a family, and most significantly, a loving man, who claimed he’d love her forever. The two got to know each other quite well, and married after three years of dating.
They were a good couple, with plenty of arguments, but they always supposed that was normal. Although they both did not want to admit it, they hadn’t felt that magic spark, heard that deafening sound of love, or seen the fireworks after each kiss. It was never there, and that wasn’t either of their faults. Too quickly they forced themselves into a relationship that was built on false ground, and they became part of a self inflicted illusion.
When she and Aaron took journeys into their small town, she would see couples on the street walking together, laughing together, making memories together, and wonder why she couldn’t have something like that. One sunny afternoon, Aaron was rambling on about work like usual as they walked past a coffee shop where a young man was sitting outside reading the newspaper. There was something remarkable about him, something that made her unable to stop staring. He looked across the street and their eyes met. The world stopped—all of the noises of nature ceased, the traffic seemed to halt, Aaron’s story was put on mute. This was a new feeling, one she had never experienced before. There was a click, a spark, a bolt of lightning—something made her think twice.
It seemed as if an entire day had passed; his gaze was such a beautiful thing to be stuck in. The moment came to an end as Aaron broke her train of thoughts with a simple statement—a statement she had heard many times, yet this time something about the way he spoke was different. “It’s all up to you Sweetie, where would you like to go for dinner tonight?" asked Aaron in a false tone. So many times he had said those same words and she had believed he genuinely cared. They hit her heart like the lightning in a thunderstorm; she worried she might explode. Things had started to change between the two recently, although she had been trying to deny this. She thought this annoyance was normal and was supposed to happen with a married couple.
The days of longing for a healthier relationship dragged on and started to dissolve all her hope that true love existed. Days turned into months, months turned into a year. She was then in complete realization of her breaking heart. After thirteen months and two additional encounters with the mystery man, Aaron left her, with nothing but a bad perception of love.
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Although she had replayed the story many times in her head, it never seemed to be any easier to handle. Their love had never been real and she had lost all hope that she would ever find pure happiness. Just as the tears began to fall from her eyes, a loud knock on the door interrupted her moment of pity. In the doorway was the flower delivery man, carrying a bouquet sent from her mother. As he reached in to hand her the flowers, his face was exposed, revealing her mystery man. He appeared like rays of shining sun brightening her with an everlasting warmth. At that moment, she believed love does eventually come knocking.
