if ..

***Warning: this is the sappiest thing ever typed by these fingers. I am, however, merely the storyteller and she begs that it be told.

It was like this, she said:

Their connection was immediate and profound. Angels sang and fireworks lit up the sky the very first time she laid eyes on him. They were outside in a crowd but suddenly everyone else disappeared. They talked all night for days on end. "We should take a break," she said. "See if we still feel like this after sleep." He nodded, "Agreed in full."

But the infatuation was mutual and intense and seemingly unending. Yet it was more than that. It was the friendship. The understanding and knowing that is rare. During those first months she thought of him every moment of everyday. Everything that happened was topic for discussion and immediately understood. They were one. She was blissful, she said.

He was perfect. Every touch, every sound, every smell left her wanting more. To be away from him was physically painful. When apart, it would cross her mind that she might be imagining it. When they were together she wanted it to never end. She had never believed in romance or even love for that matter. But she knew if it existed, this was it.

It didn't end in the usual way. Neither cared for someone else. There was no fighting. No disagreement. No petty differences. They didn't grow apart or want different things.

It happened like this, she said:

She was startled the first time she realized she hadn't thought of him for a few moments. Once aware, it was easy to find excuses and reasons. She was busy. She needed to concentrate on something else. These things happen she thought. She scolded herself, determined to try harder. 'It'll take more than this to break the ties', she thought. But those times began to happen more often. The distancing was subtle but sure and steady. And heartbreakingly sad. She sat on the roof staring at the sky and sobbed, wishing that things were different. As time went on, she began to understand why there would be no ending to this story.

It is like this, she said:

It's been a few years and still a phrase or a scent or a song will bring memories flooding back. She woke up yesterday thinking of him. Later a brief note arrived saying he'd had a similar experience. The time and distance had changed nothing. There is no need for conversation or exploring where it could go because they both know the answer. The connection will never be broken and one day will reach its full potential.

Until then she is satisfied with knowing, she said.