What does it mean to miss someone?
Better to have love and lost
Than to never have loved at all?
But when the pain is so acute you can’t breathe
Could the comfort of “never had”
Ease you into a good night’s sleep?
Nothing hurts worse than longing
But hope is a powerful thing
And you just can’t help holding on
—
She missed the heavy weight of him above her, his warmth beside her. He was her comfort in the harder times.
Wait for me, he’d whispered before he slipped away.
Her hands played over the spot beside her, long cool from his continued absence. Without fail, her nose found its way to his pillow. The musky scent of him was already fading, but it was still there clinging to the goose feathers just like she continued to cling to him.
Two years had passed. She could tick off the hours, minutes, seconds, but she wouldn’t. It made everything seem too bleak.
Images of him in his uniform flitted through her mind. The sorrow in his eyes and the determination adding lines to his face, making him appear older in that solitary moment. Wait for me, he’d begged her, his amber eyes liquid with unexpressed emotion. He’d gathered her close and filled her mind with his special scent, kissed her lips, and made her promise.
But what if he didn’t come back? To remain and wait seemed foolish, but deep in her being, beneath the fear lurked a belief that he’d find his way to her again. That’s what she held on to even as tears leaked like rain from her eyes, soaking his pillow case.
Hope is what made her wait, made her cling tight, fortified her when she would’ve given up. Hope and determination
It was all she had left.
Comments
Touching story.
“Nothing hurts worse than longing”. Oh, yes.
Author
Thanks. Just something that was on my mind.
I seriously don’t know how military wives do it. Nice scene.
Author
I don’t know either. It would be incredibly difficult.
So true on the above comment…
Author
A hard situation to be in.
It is.
Your writing has been exceptionally good …great work!!
Author
Thank you so much for saying so! A boost to my confidence.
Each and every entry…post …story…has the most wonderful descriptions. I love to visualize your words.
Wow… you’ve got some serious range. That was deeply moving and your writing truly touched me, to the point of being on the edge of feeling the sadness of empathy for the woman in your story. If you don’t mind me asking, is this based upon your personal experience? You wrote it as if you are one who truly knows…
Author
You’ve happened to catch me on an ON week. It’s hit or miss with my stories some weeks, depending on how I’m feeling.
No experience with this in particular. I’ve experienced loss and yearning in the past, but not this scenario.
I’m glad that I’ve caught you on an ON week! I’m also glad that you didn’t write this from your own personal experience, because that would be very sad.
Which makes what you’ve done here, with your writing all the more impressive, because it was so convincing that I felt the need to ask you that question.
I loved this. It is perfect, a powerful image of loss and hope, it continues to rattle round my thoughtscape. Thank you for your gift.
Author
Wow. I’m glad it had an impact. Thanks for your comment
Like children, words we create go out into the world and touch people in ways we could never imagine.
Author
Like leaving a legacy.
This touches me Cara, as all the important men in my life have served in one way or another. Xoxo
Author
The worry about seeing someone off like that would be so difficult. I appreciate you reading!