Only a Year

Chapter 1: Goodbye

Yumi turned away from him. She couldn't bear to see him this way, sad and confused. "This is the way is has to be right now. I don't want to hurt you later." She held back the tears that were forming in her eyes. One tear broke free and slid down her face, landing on her top. She reached up and wiped the streak away.

"It doesn't have to be like this. We can get through this. We always get through everything," he pleaded. "This doesn't have to stop. Please, Yumi."

She couldn't even turn to look at him. She knew how he looked. It was how he always looked when he was upset, arms down at his sides, hands balled into fists, and one twitching eyebrow. His eyes were always the worst, never crying but always full of pain.

"I'm sorry. I want to make this work, but I just don't want to be disappointed. It'll be easier if I leave now."

"Yumi," he begged. "Please don't do this. Let's talk about this. It's only a year. One year away from each other, and then I'll be right there with you again. We can make it."

"Ulrich, please stop," Yumi insisted on the verge of tears. "I've been disappointed before, and I just don't want that to happen again. It'll be better if I let you go now. It will give you more time to adjust before the time actually comes for me to leave." She fought back the tears, but another one caught her off guard and slipped down her face. Suddenly, she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. She knew whose it was. There was no way she would ever be able to forget those hands. "Please let go of me."

Her words stung, worse than if they had been cold and unfeeling. He tried to ignore them without much success. "Yumi, at least turn to look at me. Talk to me about this."

She slowly turned and came face to face with everything that she feared. His eyes were filled with hurt. She could hardly look at his face. She looked to the left of him, not quite containing the tears that were beginning to flow freely.

"I love you, Yumi. We can make this work. It's only..."

"A year?" she finished for him, cutting off his words. "I graduate in less than a week, and what happens after that?"

"We have a whole summer to be together," he urged.

"And after that?" she asked as she shook her head. She couldn't think about the summer now, only the long months she would spend away from him. "I'm going to college, Ulrich. I'll be over 3 hours away. That's not a leisurely Sunday drive. We won't be able to see each other. You'll see other girls here. I'll see guys there. How do you know it would work: us being together? People change over the course of a year. It's hard enough when together. Ulrich, it seems almost impossible."

She looked away again and wiped her eyes with her free hand. "We're better off breaking up now. It'll make things easier for us...for you."

Ulrich took both of her hands into his own. She looked down at them and then up into his eyes. "Yumi, when have I ever taken the easy way out? We do the impossible every day. I love you, and I'm not giving up this easily."

"Ulrich, what if this doesn't work. What if we meet other people?" She turned her head and took a deep breath. "I'm so scared..." And then the words were out. They cut to the core of the problem. The fear of being separated was weighing down on top of the fear of college itself.

Ulrich took a deep breath and smiled at her, even if she didn't see. "And you have a right to be. This is all going to be new for you. I'm scared too. But, I'd kick myself every day of my life if I let you slip away without a fight." He squeezed her hands. She turned and he looked into her eyes. "It's only a year. We can do this."

Yumi smiled hesitantly, relieved that she would not have to leave him, but scared because she knew she would have to leave him. Ulrich smiled at her reassuringly. He let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her. He had finally outgrown her this year by an inch or so. Her head fell perfectly on his shoulder and chest. She held onto him, taking a deep breath, bringing in his irresistible aroma. "I'm just so scared you'll forget about me, and we'll never see each other," she whispered, her lips just barely brushing against his ear.

He squeezed her tighter. "I could never forget about you, Yumi," he hushed. "I'll come to visit you over the holiday and anytime I get a chance. I'll call you every week. I'll never forget you. I love you."

"I love you too, Ulrich," she whispered. "I'm just scared. We only have this summer left...and I just don't know what I'll do if...if you don't..."

"Shhh," he hushed. "It's going to be ok. It's only a year." He pulled her closer and ran his fingers through her hair and down her back. "Please don't cry." She tried to relax against his chest, the tears slowing. "Shhh. It's all going to be wonderful. I promise. It's only a year."

I'm trying something new for once.

Give me your honest opinion.

I'd really love to hear it.