Wait A Little Longer

A girl sat down at her desk with a blank piece of paper in front of her. She picked up her pen and started to write:

Dear All,

This isn’t anyone’s fault. I just can’t be bothered any more. I don’t know what to do with my life. I feel like somewhere I’ve taken a wrong turn and there’s no point trying to fix it because I’m never going to achieve anything.

I’m so scared of the future. I just want to run and hide.

I am sorry. I’m sorry I’m not brave enough to keep going and make something of the situation I’m in. I know I should wait for it to get better but I just can’t see any further.

I love you all, but that’s not enough.

She finished writing her note, placed it on her cluttered desk and got into bed, turning her MP3 on and putting her headphones in. She opened the bottle of alcohol and the jar of pills and took the appropriate dosage. Then she lay down and went to sleep.

And somewhere, a girl looked up from where she was celebrating getting into university. She shivered slightly and felt a phantom pressure on her left hand, as though someone was holding her hand. It never quite went away; nor did the nagging feeling that she was late for something.

She grew up, settled down with a woman whose high school sweetheart had died in a car accident. And she was happy.

When she died in her old age, rather than seeing her partner, she was met by a girl she’d never seen before and yet recognised immediately. She held out her left hand, noticing that it was young again, as the other girl held out her right. Their fingers slotted together and she suddenly felt complete. The other girl spoke:

“I’m sorry, I didn’t wait for you. We were supposed to meet during your first week at uni.”

“What happened?”

“I killed myself.”

“I wish I could have helped.” She gripped the girl’s hand a little tighter.

“You were supposed to be a week older. You should have been in the same year as me. We would have met sooner and you would have helped. Given me something to live for.”

“Why didn’t that happen?”

“Chance, the Devil, bad luck?” The girl was crying now, “I should have waited for you.”

“I’m here now.” She took the girl into her arms, both secure in the knowledge that no matter what had gone wrong before, this was exactly where they were meant to be right now and forever.

“Breathe in, breathe out, keep your heart beating until I come to kiss you awake.”