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It's cruel, Eileen thinks as she stares at the row of trees that line the edges of the park. That this place that holds so many memories.. so much promise...will now be the end of something good.
She swings her legs over the edge of the picnic table that she's been sitting at for awhile, letting them drape over the bench. The wood is warm from a long day in the summer sun, and Eileen closes her eyes at the softness of the wood against her skin.
She breathes in deeply, listening to the gentle breeze rush through the leaves, creating a rustling sound. She drums her fingers against the table beneath her, notes swimming in her mind as they always do when she's bored.. or stressed.
Her eyes snap open and flick towards the street that borders the far end of the park, searching for a halo of blond hair, perhaps a glimpse of tanned skin - a figure approaching her as he had promised he would.
"Welcome home, baby," Eileen murmurs into Hayden's neck as they embrace. She runs her fingers through his hair, which has grown out quite a bit since the last time they saw each other - eighteen months ago, before he left to get his degree. "Did you miss me?"
Hayden pulls away, smiling warmly at his girlfriend, then shifts so his suitcase is behind him. "Of course, baby," he replies, as they start to walk out of the baggage chamber and towards the airport exit. Before he can say anything else, he fumbles, dropping the paper bag of fast food he's holding.
"Here, I got it," Eileen offers, reaching for it with one hand. As she rolls it shut, a piece of paper flutters out. She tries to grab it, saying, "What's this?"
"Nothing," Hayden says a little too quickly, tearing it away from her and tossing it in a garbage can that they walk by.
Eileen forces a smile, then starts to talk about her junior year, last summer, how she's graduating soon too, and asking Hayden about his studies in Germany. But she doesn't forget what she glimpsed on the crumpled receipt.
A series of digits in slanted, loopy handwriting.
A girl's phone number?
"Hey, Eileen."
Eileen twists around, a little startled, tearing her gaze away from the street in the distance.
Hayden stands behind her, seemingly having come out of nowhere. His hair is still long, grown out again after he trimmed it, and he runs a hand through it now as he stares at Eileen.
"Hayden," she breathes. "I was - where did you come from?"
"I took the long way here," Hayden replies, sitting next to her and setting his feet on the bench. He doesn't move any closer. "So I could think."
"Think about what?" Eileen asks, though the hush in her voice shows her awareness of what the answer is going to be.
