How I Didn't Get The Romantic Movie Ending

Four Words

We were not going.

She was obviously upset about it. I understood how she felt and her reasons for wanting to go. But I don't think she understood how I felt and my reasons for wanting to stay. She gave me the silent treatment that night. And the next day. And the whole week. But I didn’t mind it. I was under the impression that she would eventually get over it. I still made her breakfast every day before I left to look for a job.

Why did we need to move to Paris? She could have been a successful artist in Riverside. Plus, what if what happened in Riverside happens again in Paris? What if we gave up everything we had to go to Paris, then she decided she didn’t want to be an artist anymore? On some sleepless nights, I would lie in bed next to her and wonder… “What if one day… she doesn’t want to be with me anymore?”

 ***

It had been a week since she stopped talking to me. I thought her silent treatment would be coming to an end soon. I had been working hard to land a job. My mind was on the wedding, setting a date, making the guest list, deciding on the venue, all the things I knew she would be excited about. I wanted to fix things with her. I missed talking to her. I missed hearing her laugh. I missed her.

So I bought frangipani flowers on the way home. I realized then that I haven’t bought her flowers since we moved to Riverside. I was planning on making up for it. 

I had my mind set on making up with her. I suddenly became optimistic. A smile grew on my face as I opened the door to our apartment. I loved seeing her sitting on the couch whenever I came home. She would either be reading a book, watching television, drinking coffee, or just sitting there waiting for me.

 But when I came home that day, she wasn’t sitting on the couch.

I looked in the kitchen, she wasn’t there either.

I looked in our bedroom, she wasn’t there.

Just as I was about to call her on her cell phone, I found a note on the kitchen counter with her engagement ring on top of it.

Vince,

I have gone to Paris. I’m sorry it has to be like this. I need to go. I need to find myself. And I can’t do that here. I’m going after my dream. I hope you understand and I hope you can forgive me. I love you. Please remember that.

Harper

I took the ring, ran out of our apartment, and got into a cab as fast as I could. There was only one airport in Riverside and I was hoping that she hadn’t left yet. I couldn’t stay put in that cab. I felt like “that guy” in the movies who goes to the airport to stop his girl from leaving. Except in the movies, the girl would always choose to stay with “that guy.” So I was just hoping to be “that guy.”

 ***

When I got to the airport, I ran all over the place. I was bumping into people and saying sorry while looking for Harper. When I finally saw her, she was about to leave.

“Harper!” I ran to her.

She turned to me with a surprised face. “Vincent, what are you…?”

I was panting from all the running. “I… I can’t… Can’t let you… Walk away… From us…”

This was just like that afternoon we met. I ran to her because, if I didn’t, I felt like I would never see her again. And if I couldn’t take that the first day we met, I certainly couldn’t take it now that we were engaged. This was just like in the movies. I was waiting for her to say that she’ll stay, that she loves me, and that she won’t leave me alone. But…

“I have to go,” was all she said.

Her words echoed in my head as I watched her walk away from me. I have to go...

All the airport noise was drowned out by those four words. I have to go...

As she disappeared from my sight, I looked at her ring in the palm of my hand. I have to go...

It was ironic how I proposed to her with four words. And she ended our engagement with four words as well.