RESILIENCE

PROLOGUE: Memories

A Few Years Before

She was waiting at the arrivals for a very specific person of hers. It had been five years since he'd seen him when she waved him off for war. Those five years were agonizing for her but she knew it was worth the wait. Hopefully. Zelinia was starting to fidgety and kept twisting the necklace that rested on her chest. The rest of passengers had exit but none of the faces she'd recognized. Stealing glances at the double doors that allowed accessed for the arriving passengers, she began to get nervous every passing minute. 'What if he doesn't show up'. 'What happened if he'd been asked to stay longer'?.

Finally the double doors revealing the two last passengers and Zelinia head snapped up to sound of a woman and man's laughter filled the room and that voice she knew all too well. She searched for the face of the man and suddenly the face became focused in her view and linked on his arm was a woman. A very pretty woman.

Zelinia's heart dropped and her breathing became ragged as she noticed the enormous engagement and well-too glittered wedding ring resting on her third finger. Her eyes travelled to the man's left hand and soon found a matching wedding ring on his third finger. She couldn't find the right words to greet them.

"Zelinia, is that you?" A soft voice shook her out of her misery. She quickly looked up to his face and forced out smiling that she knew he would know it was a fake one.

"Quinn, it's good to see you back" She managed to force out and did her best to keep her smile on. Shooting the woman a quick glance, hoping she wouldn't spot how awkward the situation going to get. A warm smile appeared on Quinn's lips as went on to introduce his 'now' wife.

"Zelinia, meet Cathy and Cathy, this Zelinia who I grew up with since I was five."

Zelinia did her best to be the most friendliest person there and force herself to give a greeting and a little handshake. After Quinn said he'd wait for the taxi to arrive he requested for, not waiting for Zelinia's answer, went off, leaving the two woman to deal with each other.

"You know, Quinn spoke a lot about you when I first met him." The sweet voice pulled her out of her thoughts were she hadn't realised that the woman, Cathy had started speaking to her. She put a smile and looked to her.

"He did?" Was all she could reply where she thought it was weird talking about another when you met them.

"Yeah, he did. He spoke very well of you and how you treated him when you were kids and what made him the man I fell in love with today."

Little did Cathy know, was that Zelinia's heart was breaking every so easily just listening to how they met and how they became husband and wife. She wanted to cry. Shout at him for all the reasons why he left and how much pain she'd been in just waiting for him. Then even in more pain showing with a beautiful woman arm in arm and so in love. She wanted to curse him in his very face but she knew she couldn't and she wouldn't. After a few minutes of Cathy's rambling, Quinn came back, addressing her that the taxi had arrived and started helping with the luggage. Noticing that Cathy had quickly gone to greet the driver, she spoke a few words to Quinn.

"I'm just asking if you're free tonight." She noticed the change in his eyes and the apology he held in them.

"I'm sorry, but I was going to take Cathy around town and take her out for a meal as this is all new for her." Was all his reply. Zelinia's heart sank even more when she realised the surprise welcoming party she spent hours preparing for him would now mean nothing to him and would go to waste.

"No, no, that's fine. You go and spend some time with your wife and hopefully can meet up at another time." She finished and quickly put on a smile. The word 'wife' didn't taste well on her lips. She glanced over at Cathy, who was waiting for him.

She watched them go off, taking pieces of her heart with him. She took out her phone and dialled the number of one of her friends to cancel the party and that it was all over. There was nothing of her and Quinn anymore. Everything of the past was now a distance memory. All the questions she intended to ask on how he was and she never asked them. Never asked him why he left her. What he didn't see anymore in her and what makes this woman special to him, not her.

After getting in her car, she broke down in tears. All the memorable moments together, the laughter and jokes, the love she felt and the time he confessed to her of loving her. She cried her heart out .

She'd lost him.