Bits and Pieces

Leaves Change

Synopsis: 

Ship: None

Notes: I wrote this for @AbbeyStew as a gift sort of thing. I realized it was halfway decent and decided to publish. Warning: it's sad. 

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The air nips at Kristen's fingertips, the chill of October settling in, as she walks down the too-familiar path. Leaves crunch underneath her feet and she refuses to look down, knowing that when she does, she'll look for his shoes that aren't there.

Acting as if she were walking with a more serious purpose than meeting her ex-boyfriend, Kristen strode towards their park bench. It was out of habit at this point. Whenever she came here that's where she went. But now there wasn't a reason to, because the true reason she always sat at that bench had walked out of her life.

A breeze blows past her and she shivers. He took my scarf too, she thinks. Kristen continues to walk forward and heads towards their bench, when she notices that it's actually taken by someone else.

A couple is sitting there, all snuggled together and talking and laughing as they stare at the leaves. It pinches Kristen's heart because a little over three weeks ago, that could've been her. With him. And everything would be right.

But it's all wrong, she thinks. It's all wrong without you here.

As she walks away, trying to squash the feeling of being stolen from, a leaf brushes past her shoulder. Her gaze follows the yellow thing as it drifts away and lands on the grass not too far away. Kristen then turns to look at the rest of the trees and their leaves. All of them, every year, have to lose their leaves. It was life.

Kristen remembered mentioning to Rob that everything dies in the fall. Just like we did, she thinks to herself. Exactly like we did.

She wondered what he'd say to that. Kristen sat at a nearby bench, one that was cold and unfamiliar, and thought. He'd probably say something about the spring and how it all came back again. How the leaves falling was a part of life, and it made room for the new ones to grow.

Was that what you needed? She asks herself. Space to grow? Is this life for you? Leaving me alone for yourself?

She knows she won't get an answer out of him today, or ever. Today was about getting her scarf back and finding a place to stash her promise ring. The small metal band suddenly feels as if it weighs a ton instead of no more than an ounce. She'd forgotten it was in her pocket, but now it was as if it was burning a hole right through her jacket.

Kristen takes out the small gold thing and holds it up to her face. Something so small, something so insignificant, had so much meaning and power.

"What am I supposed to do with you?" She asked it quietly as the crunching of leaves sounded in her ears.

"I'd hope not throw it out." A voice said. But not just any voice. It was the voice Kristen could pick out from a crowd, the voice that sung her to sleep at night, the voice that whispered promises of their future together.

It was Rob's voice.

"Rob." Kristen says. She turns around and sees him standing right behind the bench, gazing at her. He looks tired and worn, but his blue eyes are still the most beautiful thing she's ever seen. He's still the most beautiful thing she's ever seen.

Rob holds his hand out and Kristen's scarf swings towards her. "I brought it."

"I see." Kristen mutters, pocketing the ring. She holds her hand out and Rob gently places it in her open palm. Not delaying, she ties it around her neck while avoiding eye contact. It was like they had just broken up all over again. The wounds were still too fresh.

I need to leave, Kristen thought.

"Okay. Well. Thank you for my scarf."

"No problem." He says quietly. Rob turns around and starts to leave. When she thinks he isn't looking, Kristen takes out the ring.

But Rob is looking. He watches, from a safe distance, as she plays with it in her hands. He watches as she looks up, and around, then simply tosses the ring away, just like he did to her.

Kristen didn't want the ring anymore. So she threw it. Someone would find it. Maybe they'd recycle it, maybe they'd sell it. At this point she didn't care. Now that she had her scarf back there was no reason to stay. She'd done what she'd come to do.

And now it was time to go home, with a new scarf and without the ring. Now that it was gone she could start moving on.

As Rob watched her leave, he felt his heart ache. He rushed back to where she stood and desperately began looking for the ring. When he found it, he picked it up and stuffed it in his pocket. No amount of time or chances could change what happened, but he still wasn't ready.

Today marked Kristen's first day of letting go, and it marked Rob's first day of wishing he hadn't.

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Leave a comment and tell me if your heart died like mine did