Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

The Parting

Hello! Enjoy! More stories are coming because I gotta get these ideas outta my head. Get them words on the paper, girl!

A sliver of light pierced the dark room through the curtains covering the floor to ceiling windows like a blade. Travis winced a bit seeing the light shoot across the room onto the ceiling and floors. The room was quiet except for the faint exhale from the woman laying in his arms. Her golden hair spread across his bare chest, her breath softly moving through his chest hair. Her arm and hand lying haplessly across his shoulder, her other arm wrapped under and around his other shoulder, holding onto him. Travis smiled first, looking down at the woman who held him, their naked bodies intertwined with each other and the bedding. It was heaven on earth to be there.

The golden-haired woman shifted slightly moving her hand softly through Travis' chest hair. Travis reached for her hand, gently clutching it in his powerful grip, calming her movements. Then, bringing her hand to his lips, he placed a reverent kiss; slowly closing his eyes and breathing in her scent. Jasmine and vanilla, it was a scent he loved and knew was uniquely hers. How did I get so lucky, Travis thought. How am I in this beautiful place, this fantastical world his lover inhabited? Lover? No, his future wife, Travis thought, knowing his grandmother's modest ring sparkled on her left-hand ring finger, he remembered the day it all happened as he closed his eyes.

The day he asked her to be his wife was far from perfect. Everything he had planned that day seemed to backfire, leaving him frustrated with trying to make the moment perfect. He wanted the moment to be just them, but each time he thought they would be alone long enough to do it, something or someone would be around. He had practiced what he would say for weeks, hell months figuring out the best words. He wrote little bits and pieces on his phone. He realize that Taylor made writing look so easy.

So, for days he carried the ring in his pocket. At one point he thought he lost it, jumping up suddenly and startling Taylor in the process. She looked at him curiously, as he patted his pants pockets and looked expectantly at the sofa he had been sitting on. Thankfully, the ring was still deep in his pocket, but he felt like time was running out. He wanted to do it in Paris, and there were only two days until they moved to the next city. Finally, he decided - he'd propose on the balcony of their Paris penthouse apartment - after dinner.

That evening Taylor smiled when she saw the table for two set out on the balcony. High bushes concealed most of the balcony to keep the cameras at bay. They knew the media had many of the rooms opposite their building rented out with cameras zeroed in on their apartment.

The night was warm, and the city hummed, Travis was nervous, so he was drinking a glass of whiskey with ice. The liquid gave him the courage to ask the biggest pop star in the world to be his wife. He wasn't concerned she'd say no.... not really...but what if she did refuse him? She was so much more than he ever imagined, even a year after their first date, she still amazed him. Who was he? Some guy from Cleveland Heights, Ohio who was good at sports. If he hadn't made it in the NFL, he'd probably be working construction, hanging drywall, or some other blue-collar job. He had gotten lucky because so many people helped him; saved him. His nerves of steel on the football field were failing him, his brother's advice not helping, but he knew he wanted this. He wanted her to be his. He was ready to settle down. He wanted what Jason had with Kylie. He wanted the chaos, the bickering, the love. This is where it would start...with this wish.

Taylor smiled as she walked with a glass of chardonnay in her hand to the balcony. Her hair pulled back; in a casual dress she had worn to sound check today. Travis turned towards her and walked to the table where their food was laid out. They sat and made small talk about a range of topics, family, friends, work...light-hearted, casual conversation that marks a strong partnership. Taylor noted Travis was drinking whiskey, which while was unusual for dinner time since he rarely drank hard liquor in general, preferring beer or wine.