"Mum! There is a man at the door asking for you!" Chloe shouted from the front of the house making Jean to drop her stirring spoon right in the cake mix. "Shoot!" Jean murmured and wiping her hands on the tea towel made her way to the door. The heat is unbearable it might rain in the evening , she thought on the way. But the train of thoughts wasn't going to take her anywhere as she suddenly froze at the sight.
"Hi!", a man a the door gave an uncertain wave. "How are you? Long time ,hey?"
"How did you find me?" Jean managed just a tiny squeak so great was her shock.
"Wasn't that difficult. I have been keeping my eye on you all these years. I know I hurt you bad but was never able to forget you.Can I come in?I am here for the reason."
Jean gestured for him to enter her mind racing at top speed. How? Why?
"It's for me,darling, I will be ready with the cake any minute."she popped her head in the living room where her daughter was engrossed in the cartoon chase.
"Come, sit."she wasn't at all sure what to do."Coffee?" Jean was trying to salvage the already sunken spoon from the batter, licking her fingers as she did so.
"No, thanks" he was looking around as he said that. "Nice house."
"Thanks.So what 's the occasion?" Jean breathed out , she didn't like mystery behind his visit and decided to get it over with.
She looked him over, 20 years has gone by since that evening when she left him.She loved him deeply but the relationship wasn't going anywhere.They've been dating for 7 years, never discussed marriage or children ,and she has had enough.It's not that she hasn't tried, but he would change the subject every time.
He sure cared for her a lot, but being only 25, he didn't think that far ahead.Life was a fun ride. And she...Jean wanted it all:home, children, loving husband.So one stormy summer night she packed her stuff and went home. She was married in just a year and had Chloe a little while later the same year.
Married life was happy and blissful but now and again she would stop for a moment and have a quiet thought of the man she has left behind. She never saw him since up until now.And this unexpected vision brought a miriad of feelings dormant within her for all these years.
Jean has been a widow for 5 years now but her daughter was bringing her joy and happiness every day.
She sighed, put the spoon in the sink and put her cake (or whatever will come out of it to bake).
" I was sorting out my papers, preparing a will, you see, and found this.Read it, you'll laugh" He handed her a piece of paper she recognized it from her student years, it read: "Frank Stone and Jean Clark, who are madly in love declare that if they are not together on July 23rd 2009,they should find each other and meet. P.S. It won't be necessary as they will always be together. "
She looked out of the window, the clouds have covered the sky and the summer air became so heavy that it was impossible to breathe. "The storm is coming", she thought as the sudden memory made her travel in time," just like all those years ago".
He stood up, took her hands in his and looked in her eyes with sadness."I have never stopped loving you, you have always been the one for me, but I was stupid, young, you see, thought the best is yet to come.And now, look at me, my wife has left me, she could never get over the fact that you were always the one in my life, my mother died, she has never forgiven me you either, and now I've reached my end too".
"What?What end?" Jean put her hand to her mouth.
"I've few months to live,that's what the doctors say. I dreamt of you every night since you left me."
"Are you...ill?"
"Yes,cancer.But enough of that."he moved a wisp of hair from her forehead just like he used to."All I want is to spend some time with you, if you let me".
She felt tears steaming down her face,"Stay.I will never leave you again." The trees were swaying behind the window flicking the leaves at the glass as if asking to be let inside away from the storm. The sky was sobbing, the wind was wailing. "Stay.I love you."
They didn't let each other go until the storm was over, she looked at him through the veil of her tears and smiled.
"Mummy, is the cake ready yet?"
"Yes, darling" said Jean wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and giving her daughter a cuddle."Let's have tea"