The news weilded a lot of weight as Susan watched the television, her eyes almost sinking into its screen. Her glare was as that of one who hadn't slept for days, and indeed, her eyes were weary from the heartless breakup text she had received few hours ago from her Fiancé, Peter.
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She sat, reminiscing on the past while wishing things could have turned out differently ...
She remembered how she gallantly walked through the shopping mall, her steps as eloquent as her dressing with her long hair flowing across her shoulders; before being distracted by a masculine breath-taking voice.
"Hello miss."
She stopped in her steps, turned back and there he was, slowly but confidently walking towards her. He was like the prince-charming she saw in Disney movies: muscular build, impressive height, dark-skinned and his face, well, as handsome as one could imagine. He was like an angel sent from heaven.
"He- Hello." She stuttered, trying to come to terms with the reality before her.
"I'm Peter, didn't mean to interrupt your beautiful day." He extended his hands for an exchange of pleasantries.
"Oh no, its not like that. I just came to get some cereals and thats all."
"Oh! That's great. You have a good fashion taste. Are you a model or something?"
She laughed, flipping her hair backwards.
The stranger watched in slow motion as each strand swayed in the air, transmitting waves of a perfect scent. One that seemed like a mixture of coconut butter and oil perfume.
"Hello?" She snapped her fingers right in front of his face, pulling him away from his thoughts.
"Oh! Sorry, I just remembered something that had happened across the mall few minutes ago"—an obvious lie of course.
"Oh I'm sorry about that. As I was saying, the soup I prepared today finished and I didn't have anything left so I decided to come and ..." She went on and on.
For a moment, he thought: how did we even get here? But she was just as interested in him as he was in her.
"Yeah, alright" he nodded his head as he pretended to listen when he hear was her subtle, sweet, feminine voice.
After waiting for her to finish talking, he held out his phone without uttering a word.
"Alright." She smiled while typing her phone number in it.
"Bye!" He said while walking away.
"Yeah, bye." She whispered to herself as she turned in the opposite direction, lost in her thoughts. She could think of nothing else except the man she had just met.
Back at home she paced around her two bedroom apartment smiling, reminiscing the scenarios at the mall with the stranger. She had been single for a while now, and it was all due her busy work schedule—she was a well established business owner, and a banker, all at the same time.
She was distracted by a phone notification.
"Hey, hope you've gotten home safely?" Can we meet up next week for a cup of coffee?"—it was Peter, her prince-charming.
"Yeah, I'm back. It was a really long drive though..." She went on and on as she initiated the conversation, setting the template for Peter to thrive on, as he reciprocated the same energy.
Somewhere along 21 pancoast line was a restaurant with blue lights, the type for lovers. A subtle calm song sang in the nineties seamlessly flowed through the atmosphere as Susan placed her jaws in her cupped palms supported by her elbows which rested on the table across Peter. She listened to him talk...
"...So how old are you?"
"I'm 29 years." She replied, her warm smile displayed her gapped-teeth—it was well aligned and sparkling white.
"What about you? it's crazy we've spoken for hours and I haven't even asked your age."
"Right?" He smiled. It was at this point she noticed the dimples on his cheeks.
"I'm 33-years-old."
It was her dream age in a man, older than her but with about five years gap.
"Wow!" She couldn't hide her expression.
He lead the conversation this time around, and she sank into the moment embracing every single second of it.
A year had passed and their relationship was still burning as bright as ever. They went hiking together, attended parties, held hands and sometimes their lips locked together. It was a perfect feel, one that left her always happy. Her vibrant energy increased—that's what happens when you fall in love.
It was all going smoothly until a certain day, when things took a different turn.
Peter held a tiny box to her face, his knees were on the floor.
"Susan, will you be my wife?"
She held her chest, her mouth agape in shock as she slowly covered them with the other hand. She was in disbelief.
"Wow!" "Oh my God!" "Congratulations!"
Customers in the same exquisite restaurant where they first met, said in excitement; Cameras were held high taking shots while phones recorded— it was indeed a beautiful day for her.
"Mtcheww!" She hissed as she came back to reality.
She turned off the news—it was an entertainment news on the separation of a celebrity couple.
She held her phone once again glancing at the message he had sent her.
"I'm sorry, I'm not yet ready to be a father. I wouldn't want to break your ..."
She threw the phone just beside the couch she sat. She knew he truly loved her but what's the essence of love if it had no seal on it?
She thought about this for a moment, and felt an inner resolve, a painful one though.
She sank her back into the couch, took a deep breath, before her eyes slowly succumbed to the wave of sleep.