I Miss You

• Chloe Lee Fok Tong, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2012

I sit on the sand, watching the sun set into the blue sea. A single tear rolls down my cheek. I miss you, come back…
I was eighteen when it happened. We were holding hands it was late afternoon and the sky was painted pink and gold. There was a slight breeze in the air and the beach was empty. We were just walking, down the beach, happy as ever, the smell of salt was in the air as we passed driftwood. “Liane” you said to me “I need to tell you something”. We stopped, suddenly we were in the centre of the beach, for a moment it’s completely silent and all is still everything was perfect. “What is it Josh?” I asked you worried. Your eyes sparkled with excitement and you seemed anxious yet almost perfectly in bliss. “I love you, I never want to leave you and hopefully I never will. Liane O’Kara will you marry me?” My heart stopped I wanted to suddenly cry. I screamed yes and jumped into your arms; you picked me up and spun me around. I felt so exhilarated, on cloud nine as they say. I don’t know how long we stayed there for, smiling, hugging, laughing, twirling, and kissing each other. I felt completely blissed. I’ll never forget that. If only I knew what would happen next, to us.
One hour later I stood in the cold, white, empty, sterile waiting room clutching my ring to my chest, no one had told me anything yet and I was going out of my mind. I stared at the clock waiting for something to happen. Waiting for you, just to see you, to see if you were ok. The doctor came in; he had a blank expression on his face. When he spoke, my heart shattered. “No” I said not wanting to accept the thought of you dying. “No” but it was true “it was a heart attack, he’s…dead” the doctor said. He looked at the floor not knowing what else to say. “He passed away” I felt like everything was gone. You were my world, what do I do when you’re gone? You were my everything. What do I do now?
As I sit on the sand, watching the sun set into the deep blue sea. A single tear rolls down my cheek. It’s summer again and it’s officially been a year since you proposed. It still feels as if you’re here. But I know you aren’t. I watch our bittersweet memories disappear, never to come back or resurface again. There’s nothing I can do, for our love is lost. A slight breeze pushes my hair back. I miss you. Come back.