The Wait (a short story)

Hey everyone! How was your night last night? Are you anticipating the new year? Today I thought of going a different direction and writing a story. I haven't written fiction as much as I'd love to and I think I've gotten rusty. If you have feedbacks on my writing, I'll really love to hear them. I appreciate a good constructive criticism. Well, here it goes:

He had shiny dark hair that caressed his beautiful skin. His eyes always lit with excitement and his smile carried promises of calm. Dora had waited so long to see him, she held on to every memory of him but nothing could surpass seeing him and holding him in her hands.

It had been months since she saw him. Dora didn't know how he would respond when he saw her or if he would be willing to even give her a hug. They had fought quite a bit while he was away and it was over the simplest things. Two nights ago, they had gotten into an argument over an unreplied message. Dora had falling asleep while chatting with Toby; she had had a long day and couldn't wait to tell him about it but the stress of the day got to her. Toby on the other hand, had received a good news and wanted to share the special moment with the love of his life but he was left hanging and all the excitement swiftly vanished as he took comfort in a glass of whisky.

As she sat in the terminal waiting for him, she couldn't help but feel anxious. She worried if he still loved her as much as he did before he left, if their time apart had made him forget how good they were when they were together, she even wondered if she looked good enough. She had tried to exercise more and ate healthily in anticipation of his return. She wasn't just doing it for him, she was doing it for herself too. He had always told her how much he loved her and how beautiful she was even when she didn't feel that way.

Dora alternated between sitting and standing and after a while she progressed to pacing. She walked up and down the airport. When she returned to her sit, it had been occupied by someone else, but she wasn't bothered; she was excited and had a lot of energy built up in her. She constantly glanced around the baggage claim in hopes to see him but she knew his flight would not be there for another hour. Dora couldn't sit at home and wait till it was time for his flight to land. She was filled with a mix of dread enthusiasm, and after rolling in her bed for what seemed like hours, she dressed up and went to the airport.

When it was time for his flight to land, her heart raced speedily and her palms became sweaty. She wiped her palms on her trousers and urged herself to stay calm. She took deep breaths and waited for whatever was to come. While waiting, she thought of the last time she was at the airport to see him off. His departure was painful as she fought to hold back tears. After a lingering hug, she let him walk away faking a smile in order to assure him that she would be fine. Since then, she had looked forward to his return, yet, there she was anxious about what their fate would be. She didn't realise just how long she had been lost in her thoughts when she felt a slight tap on her shoulder and in front of her was the man she loved; he was as handsome as ever. When he smiled at her, her fears melted away and that was when she knew that she wanted to be with him forever and would do whatever it takes to make things right.

"I'm sorry," she said, searching his face for acceptance.

"No, love. I'm sorry," he said as he held her hands and drew closer "I'm not sorry that we fought, but I'm sorry that I wasn't here for it. Through those arguments, we learnt a lot about each other and I'd rather have my fights with you than anyone else." he ended with a smile.

Dora didn't know when a tear escaped her eyes and with a chuckle, she threw her hands around him. They were happy.

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