The Rose

The power went out hours ago. A few strategically placed candles flickered around the dark room. She broke off their kiss to stare into his eyes, trying to psych up the courage to say the words. She opened her mouth then closed it again wordlessly. Whatever this was between them, she didn't want to ruin it with her confession.

I love you.

The realization had shocked her. This was never supposed to be serious. It was supposed to be light. Fun. Hot as hell.

Despite both being in relationships with other people, nothing about this felt wrong. In fact, nothing had ever felt more right. She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss. One which she hoped conveyed everything she felt but could not say.

This time he was the one to pull back. "Jules, if we're not married to other people by the time we're 30, you and I should get married." Julie laughed. "I don't think you could handle me," she teased.

He rolled her over quickly so he now lay on top of her. Pinning her arms above her head, he nuzzled her neck before whispering that he could spend a lifetime trying. Julie didn't have the chance to over-analyze what had been said. Between his words and the hand moving steadily up her thigh, Julie soon lost the ability for conscious thought. She drifted off into blissful oblivion in his arms.

It could have been minutes or hours later when she surfaced. He was gone. Julie stared at the flower which now lay on her desk, a single yellow rose tipped in red. The card she plucked from the vase simply read “All my love."

Julie smiled at her boyfriend’s thoughtfulness, trying not to be disappointed the flowers weren’t from Eric. Forever with him? Being together without fears of watching eyes and being found out?

Julie had to stop herself from indulging in those thoughts. She had to keep reminding herself that Ric wasn’t hers.

.....

There would be others. Loves. Lovers. Time and circumstance conspired against them. Yet they always found their way back to each other.

They each went on living separate lives, traveling in different directions. Their paths rarely crossed. But no matter how many days, months or years went by, when they did come together, they would still pick up right where they left off.

Free to follow their hearts’ desires. No inhibitions. No imaginary lines. No thoughts of right or wrong. Because when they were together, nothing else mattered. No one else existed. It was just them lost in the moment.

For however long the moment would last...

.....

The doors flew open. Soft music signified her entrance. All eyes in the room were on her. Ric fidgeted nervously at the front of the room and actually stopped breathing as she began walking down the isle toward him.

A tear slid down Julie's cheek when she saw the flower tucked into his lapel.

A single rose.

Yellow, tipped in red.

_______________

This week's theme was yellow. Although it sounded like an easy one at first, I kept getting distracted with Frank Zappa's Don't Eat the Yellow Snow... Since I couldn't really write about that, you get yellow roses instead...