The Picture

Excerpt

When he began to talk, he spoke quietly against my ear, his hand continuing the slow rhythmic strokes up and down my arms, as though keeping time to one of his songs. I listened with closed eyes, feeling every ounce of what he said.
“Have you ever loved someone so much it hurts, and you didn’t know how to tell them?”
I nodded and swallowed, not believing that he was actually going to tell me—a virtual stranger—about something so personal.
“She came into my life like a tornado. By the time I realized I couldn’t let her go, she was already gone. I’ve never felt that helpless, Sophie. Never. I watched the only person I’ve ever really loved waste away with cancer. But what hurts even more, if that’s possible, was how her spirit was never extinguished. You wouldn’t believe the amount of spunk.”
But I could.
“Up until the very end, she was still the same beautiful person I met and fell in love with,” he added with a whisper. "Knowing she can't share that with the world anymore leaves a gaping hole in my heart.”
Silent tears streamed down my face. Nicholas’s voice was choked, his breathing ragged. He was crying, too. He sniffed and exhaled against my hair. “Sorry,” he apologized. “I’m a wreck tonight. Today is her birthday. She couldn’t wait for her birthday. She said it made her wiser.” His grin echoed in his voice.
“What was her name?” I asked even though I knew the answer.
“Emily,” he whispered.
Somehow, hearing him say her name succeeded in opening my heart to an idea I didn’t want to have of him. For so long, I had painted a cold picture of him - one where he didn’t care or want to be around during hard times. Now, seeing him this way told me I had it all wrong. Maybe I even chose to see him wrong because it made things easier to accept. But it made the reality so real, so special to see him torn up over her short life. Emily hadn’t suffered without him, but I couldn’t say that to him right now. She loved him just as much as he seemed to love her. Their relationship had left Emily with a heart full of hope, love, and respect.
His hand rested on his knee now but I slid my palm against it and curled my fingers around him and squeezed, hoping to convey some sort of strength. There was only one thing I could do to make him forget the pain in that moment.
Turning around to face him, I gathered my courage and brushed my fingertips against his brow. He looked at me with those expectant, breathtaking eyes and I was lost. Even though this might not be why Emily wanted me here, it felt right.
Gently, I wiped away his tears and smoothed his hair as a mother might. His hand reached up and touched my cheek sweetly.
“Who are you?” he whispered, his voice full of awe. “I’ve never been able to talk to someone this way.”
“It’s amazing the things people tell me,” I teased and offered a small grin. He returned it, but quickly sobered, studying my face again. We both seemed to be waiting for something. For the right moment? For the right words? I licked my lips, knowing that kissing him was going to be an amazing journey. One I wasn’t sure I was ready for after such a short acquaintance.
“Thank you for sharing Emily with me,” I whispered, the double meaning of my words lost on him. And then, with a reverent look on his face, his lips touched mine.
It was the second time in my life I knew I would never be the same.