The following is a short story that I’ve been working on for months.
It was a warm summer day. The flowers from the dogwoods where everywhere, and the air felt sultry with a gentle breeze. As she walked through the park Jenna reminisced of the times she had spent there with Aidan. She thought about the pictures he had taken of her by the dogwoods, and by the pond with the giant lilies, and she of him climbing up his favorite giant redwood tree with the large knotted base. As she looked down at the dark green grass, a sly smile broke across her face, she thought about the night they had spent together on it. The park’s beauty and serenity captured the essence of their relationship. She wondered what had caused its demise. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked up at the bright blue sky, and remembered that single question that had caused so much doubt in her mind, and brought her to this state of solitude.
Jenna sat there patiently reading her book waiting. Then a friendly familiar face emerged at the door. They both gave each other a warm hug and proceeded to sit down, and exchanged pleasantries. It had been a couple of years since the two girls had seen each other, and had much to catch up on. Each one’s life had changed so much in the past few years one’s for the better the other’s for the worse. It was funny how the one who had had such a pleasant childhood was now wraught with uncertainty in her family life. While the other was terribly in love, and completely immune to the distressed world around her and had outgrown her tumultous upbringing. Neither were particularly close to one another, but they figured this was something that cousins do; they meet, discuss the current events in their lives, and then part ways presuming that their lives will not change much after this brief encounter.
“So tell me about him?” Nadine asked. “How long have you two been together?” The other proceeded to talk about him. Jenna had wry smile or her face, and her eyes lit up as she spoke of Aidan And once she started it was almost as if no one else was around. She described him, as she saw him, beautiful, confident, and loving.
“Is he your world?”
“What does that mean?” Jenna asked.
“He seems to be the only person in your life.” Nadine responded.
“Well…”
“No its perfectly ok. Its just that he’s your world.”
At the moment Jenna thought nothing of it. And quickly dismissed her cousin. She rationalized the notion by thinking to herself my cousin isn’t in love, she doesn’t know what its like. I fell in love with him the day after I met him, I knew he was the one, and had resolved to be with him, and knew I wouldn’t find anyone else as passionate about life as him. And he feels the same way about me.
The two were indeed passionate people. But over the years their passion for each another had subsided, and was replaced by a stronger force, ambition. And as ambition began to drive the lovers apart, the question began to plague her mind. “Is he your world?” Jenna would mull over it, and wonder if there was something or someone else in the world that hadn’t yet been explored. If she was missing something. After all they were so young when they had falled for each other, and they had sheltered each other so much over the years. Neither had had the opportunity to venture into the world without the other. Perhaps it was time. So she took a gamble. She tore her world apart, and moved on without him.
