Could you fall in love with someone you never met, saw or spoke to? Sounds unlikely?
***
Ella is an overworked college student whose only plan is to complete her degree swiftly & proficiently. Sounds simple en...
Ella's hands were clenched tight on her sides, curling into the soft fabric of her blue winter jacket, her palms were sweaty despite the cold weather and steps heavy as she concentrated on placing one boot in front of another in the slowly gathering snow.
She didn't want to be there, at least a part of her didn't, yet the rest of her was dying to walk that all too familiar trail towards the willow tree, while her mind whirled with possibilities.
She was feeling too many things all at once, anger was juxtaposed with relief, joy was drowned out by betrayal, frustration & annoyance were there too and she didn't understand which emotion prevailed over all others.
What happened a few minutes ago flashed in her mind's eye and then she recalled the words from his letter; they were thoughtful as always, considerate, respectful too and beautiful.
Ella knew all too well that words could be deceiving.
"On my end, there's still so much left to say- not write, say."
Those were his words in his elegant longhand scrawl- and the implication wasn't lost on her.
There were so many questions in her mind too, so much to say and understand that it practically weighed her down with a physical burden. She blamed her inquisitive, restless mind as she pushed herself to walk faster, the hike seemed longer that day, steeper somehow- an uphill battle, yet Ella was determined, committed to the task. Her thoughts went back to the letter he wrote, the very words that disoriented her.
"You have not misread my words..."
She came to a standstill just before the meandering curve that revealed the bowing tree, she could see a single trail of fading footprints in the snow leading ahead, those strides were much larger than hers and she breathed deeply at the evidence of his presence.
Gathering her fleeting courage she stepped ahead and out of the naked winter branches that barely provided concealment. Her eyes spotted him instantly, he was facing away, donned in dark clothes that almost made him a silhouette over the backdrop of stark white snow, while the willow tree was poised majestically behind him, bowing under the added weight of snow, dusted all over its branches. Ella almost stumbled, she was colder somehow and she wanted to crawl inside the comfort of her warm jacket and stay there.
He stood tall and in his hands was that very same diary she was promised.
Maybe it's not really him, she thought. Maybe he's just a messenger, but then he turned around, took half a step towards her and smiled a bit unsurely as their eyes met.
"Hey." He said softly in his deep voice and Ella could only blink up at him.
It really was him. It was him all along and she couldn't comprehend what that meant.
