UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

Chp 32 : Goodbyes

-Shelley-

It's another day at work, and as usual, I put the patients' cards in order before calling them. Dr. Blackson waits calmly at his desk as he looks through the computer records of patients who will soon be called in.

I can't shake the feeling that he wants to talk to me. I'm well aware that Ben is leaving the country today. You must be wondering what I'm going to do about it now that I know. Not much. I'm sick of thinking about it all day and night without being able to figure out what to do.

Of course, we all know what the solution is.

It's me getting up from my chair right now and calling him to let him know I have chosen to be exclusive with him and am ready to take the next step in our relationship. But the truth is, it is not that simple.

She sighed, causing Dr. Blackson to take a side glance at her. Why can't he just be satisfied with the fact that I have feelings for him and be content with that? Must he make this complicated for me? I slam back into the chair, staring at the front wall.

"Can I pick up your brain as to what you are thinking?" asks Blackson.

I slowly turned to him. "Nope. It is not important. We have work to do."

"Forget about work. Those patients can wait, he says." I waited patiently for what would come next. "Obviously, you are thinking about Ben." There it goes. The long-awaited question from him.

"I won't pretend to understand why you decided not to pursue an exclusive relationship with him. What are you afraid of? Being in love or wanting to be loved involves giving half of yourself to that person, which includes your heart, and that involves trust. Additionally, you must have faith that the feelings you have for the person are genuine and that what he is offering is genuine as well."

"I understand how scary it can be. Leaving yourself so vulnerable to someone and hoping and praying they don't hurt you is a daunting task. I may not be familiar with the experiences you've had in the past, but I can assure you that Ben is unique. He loves you, and that is not an easy thing to do considering his past."

As she listens to Blackson talk, her phone rings. She ignored it at the first ring, but the person called back again.

"Are you going to get that?" says Blackson. Sighing, she picks up the call.

"Hello, Mabel, I am at work. Can we talk later?"

"No, we can't," says the voice on the line. "When were you going to tell me Ben was leaving the country, and why are you two on a break? What is wrong with you, girl?"

"How did you learn of the news?" Shelley asked.

"Does it matter how I learned about it? Ben called me. He wanted to leave a message for you because he didn't want to bother you. I had to delve deeper into why he believed that calling you would be bothersome, as his reasons for not doing so were illogical. He revealed to me what happened between you two."

"Girl, it would be unwise for you to let him depart. It's not often that one encounters a man like him. He is not Nathan, your father, or any other man who has shown you less respect. You better go after him at the airport, or I will come there myself to get you."

"Mabel, I'm working. I will never make it in time to go after him, even if I want to," she says hesitantly with a shaky voice. While pacing around the consulting room. Blackson kept staring straight at her. He says, "I could drop you."

"What about the patients outside?" She inquires. "We can tell them that there was an emergency and that I needed to leave for a moment." he offers. "That's a lie."

'No, it is not.' For the record, the situation really is an emergency.

"Who is that?" Mable asks. That's the doctor I work with. "I like him. Pay attention to him. I'm sure they'll be able to find a short-term replacement."

With the phone in his ear, Blackson tells the nurse in charge to find someone to fill in for him because he and his nurse need to handle an emergency.

***

Not long after that, Blackson and Shelley were racing around the airport in an attempt to locate Ben. It was chaos at the airport as thousands of people hurried with their belongings to go somewhere they recognised, while others, their eyes welling up with tears, hurried to see their families. As she searches for Ben, Shelley makes her way through the mayhem.

Beyond her shoulder, Shelley heard Blackson talking. Something about the public address system telling people to get on Flight 97. The fact that it was Ben's plane made her anxious.

Ben listens to the cheerful greetings of the flight attendants, the sounds of planes taking off and landing, and people being checked at the security checkpoint while sitting calmly in a comfortable chair in the waiting area. It all happens while he waits for his flight. He waited for the PA system to announce his flight before moving. Later, he stood up and walked to the security checkpoint.

He hears someone calling his name from a distance as he approaches the security checkpoint. "Am I hallucinating, or did I just hear Shelley call my name? Has it gotten to this point?" As he moved forward, he heard his name again, and this time it was clear as if she was right behind him.

Ben turned when he heard a voice behind him calling his name. To his surprise, it was Shelley. "Hi," she says. "What are you doing here? How did you get here? When did you get here?" With so many questions thrown at her at once, she ignores them and moves close to him. "I just couldn't let you go without you knowing how I feel about you."

"You were wrong when you said I didn't feel the same way about you as you do for me because I do. I am so in love with you that it scares me."

"You were right when you said that I didn't trust you completely, but if you give me time, I will. I am capable of learning if you provide me with guidance."

"I am sorry it took me so long to realise this, but I want you in my life. If you will have me, I'd love to be your girlfriend."

With a smile on his lips, he drew her closer to him. With their foreheads touching and his arms around her waist, he whispers. "You were wrong when you said I did love you because I still do. Always. I love you so much."

"You have no idea what you do to me. Hearing you say you love me means the world to me."

"If you are happy to hear that, then why aren't you kissing me?" she asks. With a smile spread on his face, he joins his lips with hers. As if they were the only ones in the room, they kiss passionately. Ben only parted when he heard the PA system repeat his flight number.

"I am truly sorry, but I still have to leave. There are problems at home that I need to take care of, but I promise I'll get back to you as soon as it's over."

"Will you wait for me? I meant to say, Can you wait for me?" He inquires. "You must promise to come back to me," She says.

Travelers on flight 97, please go to the front desk.

"I promise I will come back to you." He says. For the last time, he kisses her before leaving. "I love you," she tells him.

As Ben glanced back, a smile spread across his face, and he replied, "I love you too."

The End

AN: 10/06/2024: Finally, the journey has come to an end. I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Let's keep our fingers crossed for Part 2.🤞