She's With the Band

The Worst Is a Broken Heart

Dear Mum and Dad,

Where do I start? Dublin is beautiful, it's everything I imagined and more. I'm in love with the city and all the possibilities that await...

Valerie's tears dripped on the postcard. She was lying to her parents and she knew it. Her life was the farthest thing from the perfect picture she attempted to paint in the postcard.

She was staying at her sister's for the weekend, until she could pick herself up-at least that was what she told herself to sleep at night. She had just walked away from Xavier, her boyfriend of three years, and needed to clear her mind with some well-deserved distance.

Despite her futile attempts at resisting, her mind took her back to the fateful night when she left Cork.

"Don't do this Val," Xavier called after her, "it shouldn't be this way."

Valerie rushed out of the door, not hesitating for once. She was greeted with a whirlwind of chilly air. Slowly inhaling to calm her racing heart for what she was about to say, Valerie turned around to face Xavier.

"Don't you see the dead-end that we're living in? My future is at stake with you, Xavier. And quite frankly, I can't live like this." Valerie's own eyes widened. She couldn't believe she had just stood up to the very man who brought her down many times over the span of three years. She was sick of the constant excuses and second chances.

The tears threatened to spill from her eyes, blurring the world around her into a kaleidoscope of varying colours. The meagre street lights, now little circles of bright dots in Valerie's blurry vision, danced to a depressing ballad reflecting the tensioned atmosphere in the air.

Despite the stark of the night, her ears blared with all the noises in the world. There was a siren screaming in the distance, no doubt carrying a soul clutching on for dear life through the busy Cork streets. There were drunken shouts down the streets as a group of men stepped out of the local pub after what looked like a roaring night.

Valerie took in her surroundings carefully, savouring every last essence of Cork. She had called her sister earlier to let her know of her newfound plan: she was leaving Cork. For good.

Valerie watched as Dana emerged from the kitchen carrying two cups of a steaming hot beverage. She wiped her eyes quickly and pushed the postcard away. She intended to write it-after she got her emotions in check.

"Drink up," Dana ordered, "it's your favourite; Earl Grey."

Valerie reached for the cup, its warmth already seeping through her body. She blew over the steaming cup, grateful for the warmth it provided on this cold November night.

"Val," Dana began in a concerned tone, "can we please talk about it?" Valerie had refrained from telling Dana all the details over the phone fearing that she would break down.

After a long train-ride to Dublin, filled with sobbing and concerned glances from strangers, Valerie didn't want to embark on another full-blown crying session. "I'm not really-" She began.

"Listen," Dana interrupted, "You know I'm not going to judge you, Valerie, but ditching your entire life in Cork has made Mum worried sick about you."

Valerie's eyes widened with disbelief, "You told her?!"

"She had to know, Val!" Dana held up her hand defensively.

"I can't believe you right now, Dana." Valerie sipped on her tea angrily.

"That's beyond the point right now," Dana tried again, walking on eggshells around her sister's delicate feelings, "What matters is, I'm here to help you."

Valerie reluctantly put the cup on the coffee table, "I broke up with Xavier. He... he wanted me to give up my promotion so that he could keep sleeping with his co-worker from the hotel's Financial office. He didn't want to move away with me. Then I walked in on them that night."

"The bastard," Dana cursed, then her eyes widened, "what was the promotion, to begin with?"

"They wanted me in London," a sad smile was tugging at the corners of Valerie's lips, "as the Junior Vice President of Human Resources at the Fairfox Hotel."

"That's huge!" Dana exclaimed.

"Not that it matters," Valerie wiped the stray tear and shuffled her legs, "I'm not taking it-I'm sick of the hotel industry."

Dana sipped on her tea quietly. She disagreed with her sister's course of action; simply because she couldn't fathom how Valerie could let go of such a huge advancement in her management career. But, keeping to her promise of not being judgmental, she reached a comforting hand to Valerie's shoulder.

"I just need a few days to figure things out," Valerie's eyes were rimmed with tears once again; she knew her sister probably thought the worst of her actions. She, herself, felt irrational.

"You can stay as long as you need," Dana soothed her. She had prepared the spare room for Valerie's stay; a new bedspread was put on the bed, the bathroom was cleaned, and the apartment was ready for Valerie's self-actualizing procedure.

Valerie leaned towards her sister's warm embrace, and drank her tea before the warmth evaporated. "It's only a broken heart. It'll heal." She mused, sadly.

A/N: Hello! This is the first story that I've written. Hope you guys like it, as much as I do, and vote/comment/do-anything!

Much Love!