Maybe this time [Completed]

Chapter 28

PAUL

Hey Paul, I hope you're doing great wherever you are when you read my email.

Uhm... I just wanted to be the one to tell you the news. I'm getting married :)

I know you're worried about me, and I appreciate that. Thank you, really. But I've thought hard about it and I think this is the right decision.

That's it. I attached a copy of our wedding invite here, just in case. I know it will be quite impossible for you to be there, and I'd understand if you can't make it, but still - please come if you can.

Take care. See you when you get back.

Elisse

I was in Russia when I received her email two months later.

And that night, I got drunk for the second time in my life.

I knew she was making a mistake, I was sure of it. But I also knew that nothing I can say would convince her. She was that stubborn.

Watching her walking down the aisle and into the arms of a man I knew was wrong for her was the most difficult thing I ever had to do.

Still, I forced myself to do it, I had to be there and see it for myself. I had to know for certain so that I could finally move on, even if I had to jump through hoops just to get permission from the station.

That all happened almost ten years ago but I can remember every detail as if it all happened yesterday.

Of course, I've had my own share of relationships during that time, too. I'm no saint.

There was even one that got serious enough that I had started thinking that maybe she was the one meant for me. I met her during coverage of the Amazon forest fire in Sao Paulo about seven years ago.

We had spent weeks in the town, watching the responders, interviewing government officials and the people, tracking the efforts to stop the fire from spreading.

Then one morning we woke up in darkness, because the fires spreading in the amazon had covered Sao Paulo in thick black smoke. We couldn't go out, and all the reporters had gathered in the hotel lobby to share updates in this critical situation.

Everyone was vibrating with nervous energy, but this woman seated across from me was busy writing down notes as if it were any normal day. Although I knew reporters in general had stronger nerves than regular people, there was a calmness about her that drew me in.

It got me curious so I decided to talk to her.

"Have you covered an amazon fire before?" I asked as I approached her.

She looked up and smiled, making small crinkles appear on her forehead.

"Hi. Yeah, I was in Paraguay and Peru when fires broke out last year."

"That explains it," I chuckled, feeling relaxed in her presence. "You don't seem affected by all these."

"Oh believe me I am. But if you mean scared, then no, I'm not. I'm used to the danger, you know it's part of the job."

"Yeah, I get what you mean," I nodded in agreement. "I haven't seen smoke this thick, though. It's pretty scary."

She smiled at me kindly.

"The fires don't usually get to this level, but it's sad when you imagine how many trees are burning to generate this much smoke."

That started a conversation that lasted for the rest of the day. I found out later that the Amazon was a personal passion of hers and that she wanted to write a book about it someday.

She was an amazing person - smart, passionate, and to top it all off, quite hot and pretty too. Her light brown hair complemented her tanned skin, making her look as if she was glowing. She had soft hazel eyes that looked at others with kindness and compassion.

But what I liked most about her was her smile. She has this mysterious smile that makes you think she can see right through you, that she understands what you really mean even if you're saying the opposite.

We spent the next days together, meeting up at the hotel for breakfast before we set out for the day, and for dinner whenever we can.

Before I left Brazil for another assignment in Morocco, we agreed to try out a long distance relationship. And why not? We were both busy, both always on the move, and both not planning on settling down anytime soon. There was nothing to lose.

And for a time, it worked. We would coordinate our schedules and meet up every chance we got.

Sometimes it would get complicated because we were mostly competing for an exclusive of the same story, plus we only get to see each other once every few weeks, but somehow we always managed to work it out.

Until one day when we didn't.