Angels and Electricity

The club was packed and the electricity was palpable through the humid air. People were chattering amiably all around me but I paid it not the slightest bit of attention. I wasn’t there for them. I told myself that I wasn’t really sure why I was there at all but I knew before the thought was finished that that was a lie. I was there for her.

She and I had talked about “forever” like it was something that could really happen. And, for a brief season anyway, we lived that way too…two fools passionately in love and not giving a moment’s consideration to tomorrow.

“Forever” wasn’t quite as long as we supposed it was going to be. She left…or I left…or we left…I really can’t remember anymore.

And now I was here…the better angels of my nature compelling me against the nagging doubts of my more rational self…waiting with the amiably chattering crowd.

And then the lights went down and the crowd started buzzing excitedly and then she was there…in the spotlight, in the center of my known universe…guitar in hand and beatific smile on her breathtaking face. She started to play…that song she wrote for us one rainy Sunday afternoon as we lay in bed letting the day slide lazily by…and I felt like my heart was going to bust wide open right there and then.

I shrank into the shadows presuming that she would never see but it seemed like her gaze was fixed on my location in dark as she sang that song…the song she wrote for us back in the time before forever ended…and I sang along and all of the buzzing crowd faded from my perception one by one until there was just her and just me.

And when she was done, she put down her guitar and held out her hand in my direction. The crowd reappeared and then parted like graceful waves as I felt myself moving forward. I looked up at her and she floated down into my arms. We kissed…the way we used to kiss when forever was a real thing between us…and brushed tears from each other’s eyes. The crowd sighed and then cheered. I lifted her back up to the stage and she played and sang while I watched proudly, wistfully, hopefully.

Afterwards…with angels on our shoulders and electricity in our beings…we kissed and laughed, cried and apologized…we talked about “forever” like it was something that could really happen…two fools falling in love again and not giving a moment’s consideration to tomorrow.

- special thanks to Eddi -