by Grace Golds

Created on: October 31, 2008

A MOMENT CAPTURED

March 1949

As the shadows danced across her face a single tear crept down her aged yet softened features, and with a sigh of resounding finality Claudia closed the door on her past for the very last time. She lingered upon it just a precious moment longer before feeding it to the hungry flames before her. She stood silently, watching as the blackened edges crept closer and closer to the two faces she had held so close to her heart for so very long.

* * *

3 months earlier

"Nope, sorry love, never seen him before in my life."

"You're quite sure?" Claudia sighed. "Thank-you," she sat back on the stool breathing in the heavy, smoky atmosphere and closed her eyes shutting out the face before her.

"You look like you could do with a stiff one?" The voice carried from behind the bar. Giving a weak smile, Claudia shook her head and made her way towards the door.

"His name was Robertson. James William Robertson. Great bloke." Claudia froze; hand on the frame of the door still clutching the weathered photograph in her gloved hands.

"Who?" She said.

"The chap in the photo. Always popping in for his regular pint he was. Him and his mate, Gary, Gary Clout I think it was." All at once her body numbed and Claudia was hardly aware of her own hand fiercely gripping the door handle.

"You know him?"

"I sure did Miss, right before he was sent off to France. Wonderful chap though, always had a story to tell. Had every single one of em hanging on to his every word. Can't say if what he told us was true or not though sounded all a bit of wishful thinking if I'm honest"

"What? What did he tell you?" Claudia turned towards the barman, empty eyes scanning his face.

"Always the same. How he was the happiest man alive, the luckiest fellow around. Claimed he was the man without a heart; said he'd given it to a lady I forget her name now but what I'll tell you is that she must have been something special to do that to a man." A deep silence echoed his words before "Claudia," was all she managed to say. "Claudia Cecilia Milestone."

"That's it darlin'. You know her?" There was a long pause before her answer. "No," she whispered, "not anymore," and before the barman could continue the conversation Claudia wrenched open the door and ran into the snow-crested night, choking back the tears.

Wrapping her coat around her against the harsh December winds Claudia made her way home trying to gather her thoughts. Four years on and all she knew about herself was that she had once loved a man. A man

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