Still Waiting for You

The Promise

Helios had already started dipping into the sea, offshore of the little coastal town of Marigold. The sky was painted pink and gold. Elena was standing on the old wooden pier, her eyes toward the horizon. Waves lightly lapped against the shore, a comforting sound she had come to know so well. Clutched in her hand was a worn-out letter with slightly faded ink; the words, however, were still quite clear.

"Wait for me," it read. "I promise I'll come back."

It had already been five years since Leo left to chase his dreams of becoming a writer in the city. High school sweethearts had been inseparable, planning to conquer the world together. Life took a different turn, though. The departure was abrupt, but his promise to come back was something Elena clung tight to.

She returned to this pier every day, where they had shared their first kiss, where they laughed until their sides ached, and hundreds of memories were made. It had been years since the townsfolk started whispering about her and how foolish she was for waiting. But Elena didn't care. Deep down in her heart, Elena knew Leo would return.

As days turned into months and months into years, Elena never lost faith. She went on to live in Marigold, working in the local bookstore—her second favorite pastime beside Leo—and yet always retaining a piece of herself standing on that very pier, waiting.

One evening, under the clear autumn sky, when the wind picked up and leaves danced all around her feet, something was different: a figure in the distance, getting closer. Her heart was pounding. She peered hard, trying to get a better view, squinting her eyes.

Could that be him? Was Leo finally returning?

The figure closed the distance between them, and Elena's breath seemed to lodge in her throat. She took a step forward, feeling the race of her pulse, then stopped. The man striding toward her wasn't Leo at all. It was someone she had never laid eyes on.

"Are you Elena?" the stranger asked softly, his voice tinged with something unspoken.

"Yes," she gasped. "Who are you?

He stumbled, reached inside his coat, and pulled out a small, weathered book. "My name is Ethan. I'm a friend of Leo's. He asked me to give this to you."

Elena's heart sank, yet she took the book from Ethan's outstretched hand. It was Leo's journal, which he always kept close. She opened it with shaking fingers, and there, on the very first page, was what he had written to her.

"Dear Elena," he started off. "I'm so sorry I could not keep my promise. I wanted to come back to you, but life had other plans.

Long-overdue words welled up tears in Elena's eyes as she read them aloud to her waiting ears.It described how much Leo loved her, how he would never forget her, and how he had attempted to return to Marigold but was stricken with a disease that prevented him from doing so.

The letter concluded with, "I'm still with you, Elena. I'll always be with you, no matter where you go. Please, live your life fully and find happiness. You deserve it."

Elena clutched the journal to her chest and wept. All these years of waiting had finally returned an answer to her: Leo was gone, but his love wasn't, and in it lay the strength to move on.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Elena would be back on this very pier, waiting. She would come back for reminiscence, to hold dear those moments they shared, and to pay homage to the love that profiled her life.

Now it was time to move on—to a life yet to be had—and know that Leo would always be a part of her, still waiting in her heart.