S A R A

Ch 52

52

I got inside a dimly lit room, with an additional set of stairs lit up by red and heading into the main party room. I slowly climbed these stairs and was brought into an ambiance of heavy hitting music and a platform that was a busy dance floor with another floor that was the bar and sofa lounge area. A few people were gazing at the scene from the upstairs against the railing, but mostly everyone was involved in the music or chatting. I decided I wanted to find the bathroom, partly because I got a little bit apprehensive. I went back down to the first room and realized this 'bathroom' was for both men and women and also had a long line.

Summing up my courage I went back up into the dance floor area. First, I climbed to the bar area, but couldn't see him anywhere. I looked out into the dance floor, and realized that the only way to find him would be to literally go in.

So, I walked towards all the moving bodies, and slowly started to push my way through the perimeter of the dance floor. 10 minutes in since I got here, and I still couldn't find him. I was starting to get really awkward now.

And then, just like that, there he was. As if he never left.

In the middle of the crowd, near the back, I saw him looking strangely at peace in the chaos. Just, vibing to the music. I recognized a few familiar faces around him, people I knew from our past life.

And I paused for a moment. Before going up to him, before the linear continuation of time, I wanted to capture that moment. I wanted to stop time and capture his face the way it was.

I felt an explosion of things, a riot of emotions ranging from love to hate all at the same time. The full spectrum.

I wondered if behind those eyes, somewhere, lay a thought of me. If somewhere he was waiting for me.

Forgetting to breathe, my feet started to move before my mind could conceive the fact that I was moving closer to him.

"Hi," was all I could say, seeming to break him from his trance.

He turned to me, and with his eyebrows raised, in a moment of surprise that turned fluidly into him opening his arms, and me coming in for a hug.