Love In London

Photo Credit: Kayode Okeyode

Jumping out of her chair, Samantha walked up on the platform to receive her high school diploma. As it was placed into her hand, she could feel her body shaking, from a mixture of excitement and nervousness. In a few months, she would be catching a flight to London for a three month internship.

The months flew by as Samantha enjoyed her final summer at home. Soon the day came for her to leave. She rode with her mother to the airport, where they shared a long hug and shed several tears. With a final wave ‘goodbye’, Samantha headed through the doors.

As the plane flew into London, the skies were clear, and the landscape was covered in snow. Upon landing, Samantha called for a taxi and walked outside to meet it. Her apartment was only 20 minutes away and when she arrived, she was pleased to see that it looked just like the pictures, but bigger. It was also in the city and within walking distance of her internship location.

She unpacked everything, put on her coat and headed outdoors to sight see. The city was beautiful and the architecture was stunning. She walked for several blocks, and abruptly came to a stop, when she accidentally crashed into a man who had just rounded the corner. He caught his balance right before hitting the ground.

Once he was stable on his feet, he looked up at her and she quickly apologized. He kindly laughed and responded with a sweet forgiving smile. He was a handsome man, with hazel eyes. His hair was light brown and cut short. He was only a couple inches taller than her, and had an athletic built.

He introduced himself as David, and asked if she wanted to get a coffee with him at a cafe down the street. Normally she would have hesitated, but there was something about him, that made her feel comfortable and she knew she could trust him.

Side by side, they slowly walked to the cafe. Once they got their coffee, they took a seat at a table facing the street. Samantha learned that David was a London native, and was attending the university to become a doctor. She told him about her internship in architecture and of her life in the United States.

They talked for hours, until the sunset could be seen through the window. Samantha looked around and noticed that they were alone in the cafe, and realized that it had closed five minutes prior.

David and Samantha left and stood outside the cafe doors. Neither of them wanted the day to end, so she gladly accepted when he suggested that they meet the next day at noon, at the same cafe.

About twenty minutes to noon the following day, she walked back to the cafe. Arriving early, she was happily surprised when she saw that he was already there waiting. They got a coffee to-go and took a walk through the city. They walked for miles, talking and laughing, and taking breaks along the way to sit on park benches. The day was perfect.

The following day Samantha started her internship. Her days quickly became full, but her evenings were reserved for David. They spent every evening together, visiting local restaurants, taking walks and going to the theater. On the weekends, they spent their days visiting museums, and taking scenic drives outside of the city.

Their time together was amazing. Back at home, Samantha used to laugh at people who believed in love at first sight, but now she was one of them. She had fallen for him the moment she almost knocked him down three months ago. Since then, she had developed a love for him; one like she had never experienced before. A love that she would soon have to leave behind.

With deep sadness, Samantha’s three month internship came to an end. On the evening of her departure, David asked to meet her on a bridge nearby. Evening came and her taxi arrived. As she was loading her suitcases into the car, it was snowing, and the moisture from her tears stung against her skin in the cold.

She asked the driver to take her to the bridge before continuing on to the airport. Once they arrived at the bridge, Samantha got out of the car and saw David a short distance away, standing against the guardrail.

Upon seeing her, David ran and grabbed her in his arms. His eyes were filled with tears and he told her of how much he had grown to love her. He questioned how he could possibly live his life separate from her. It was obvious that their love for each other was deep, as if they were meant to be together.

Now they had to separate. Life had never been as unfair as it was at that moment. David held her in his arms and kissed her. Their last kiss.

With tears rolling down her cheeks, Samantha slowly turned from him and walked back to the taxi. As she closed the door behind her, she wept, knowing that she was also closing the door to the man who had stolen her heart.

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This post is a response to Cognitive Reflection’s prompt: Once More With Feeling