Let Her Fly.
Joe sat on the roof of his small hotel room he had rented out in the hills of California. He had been on a mission the night and day before him, get her back. By her, he meant Lena, the love of his life. She was gorgeous in so many ways, she was Greek, and so she had prefect brown, chestnut colored, and the rested perfectly on her natural light olive skin. Lena was the kind of girl who refused make-up, or fake tans. She liked Natural, she never straightened her hair, just let the natural curl. She had a petite frame, and always wore dresses or skirts; Joe didn’t think he ever saw her in jeans.
She was the most intelligent girl as well. She didn’t need to act stupid like other girls, and she had so much faith in god. She always was working at the church, or a homeless shelter. But like most people she had her faults, and Joe thought he loved her faults more then anything. She was so ticklish, and her laugh was so incredibly loud, she usually woke all the people in town. She didn’t really enjoy technology, so she rarely answered her cell phone. She eat too much, and always spilled on herself, and she seemed to blush a whole lot.
Joe had met her when he was seventeen, and they had a summer romance like you saw in the movies. Spending endless hours on the beach, Joe playing guitar and Lena singing with him. She went to so many of his concerts, and the relationship lasted after the summer, but the touring was waying down on Lena. She missed his big brown eyes, and the way he could make her laugh. She missed him playing guitar for her late at night, and she missed painting pictures of him and taking goofy pictures together. But most of all, she missed him. Being on tour, and Lena being at school, there was no time for them. So as winter moved in, Lena made one last phone call to Joe, and told him she couldn’t do it anymore, she told him she couldn’t cry every night anymore, she told him she would always love him, but she had to think of herself for once, and she knew moving on was the right thing.
Joe remembered her last words the most, Joseph, I’ll miss you. After those days, every sad love song Joe wrote was about her. Every time he cried it was because of her. People started to say Joe wasn’t the same, but it was because she had taken his laughter. She never called him again, and she never answered her phone. Joe had moved on as well, but never dated again.
So three years later, Joe was still thinking about her, off tour while his brothers were settling down, Joe had a mission. He called information, and found where she lived. He got a hotel room, and drove off to the hills of California.
Once he arrived down the dirt road that lead to a little house by the woods, which led to a lake, he parked his car on the road, and began to walk down the road, he grew more and more nervous, and began not knowing what to expect. Would she still be the same, would she be by herself? He walked until he got close enough to see everything. He stood by the fence and saw Lena with a dress on, and her hair up running around with three young children, all different skin tones, and none the same as Lena. She ran and picked one of the little boys up and swung him in the air, as they were both giggling, she kissed his forehead, and put him back on the ground. She stood there with her hands on her hips as the little boys ran back and fourth after each other, and laughed in amazement. Joe decided this was the time. He began to move toward the fence, realizing she was more beautiful then ever. He got to the fence and the little boys stopped moving and smiled at him, they were obviously aware of the band. Lena’s jaw practically dropped, but she didn’t move, but Joe just continued towards her.
He appeared right in front of her, and looked her straight in the eyes, and then wrapped his arms around her. She hugged back, and started to cry.
“I missed you so incredibly much.” Joe whispered to her, and he felt a tear run down her cheek and fall onto his shirt. She pulled away, and studied his face. Oh how he had grown from the last time she had been with him. But now she saw more seriousness on his face, which scared her.
“Come with me.” She said gently to Joe, tugging on his hand and making him follow her into the little house. He had missed her hands, so small and gentle when in his.
Once in the house, Joe noticed how this had always been Lena’s dream house, behind the house you could almost see the beautiful blue of the lake. He glanced out the window, with sheer curtains, as they passed by it. Finally she had leaded him to a little table out on the deck, connected to their house. He pulled out her chair, just like he used to, and sat down in his. He couldn’t help but stare at her. If it was even possible, she was even more beautiful then before.
She had obviously noticed Joe staring, and started to laugh. “Joe” She said laughing.
“Lena” HE replied looking right in her eyes. He everything planned, every move, he had the ring ready, the words ready. He was going to do it today, he could feel it. It was just a matter of when.
“Joe, you don’t know how glad I am you came back.” She said to him in her quiet voice. A smile grew across his face, and he shook his hair a bit. “And, I have something for you. I just, I have to get it.” She said smiling, while standing from her chair, and walking to the kitchen.
When she returned Joe noticed a blue envelope in her hand. She sat down a handed it to Joe, half smiling, but she looked nervous at the same time. She bowed her head down. Joe ripped open the envelope and read the invitation. Lena was getting married, but not to Joe. Joe’s heart stopped, and his mind started racing, he couldn’t think straight, and he could swear he might have gasped, but he wasn’t sure. Afraid to face Lena he kept his head down. He took a deep breath, and finally summed up some words.
“So who’s the lucky man?” He said, and even he could hear envy in his voice.
“Joe, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I just didn’t know where you were, or how to tell you.” She said quietly.
“So how long have you known him?” Joe asked.
“Joe, you were the one who didn’t call.” Lena said tears now running down her face, she knew what he was feeling, but she wasn’t going to be blamed.
“You couldn’t call?” Joe asked, and before she answered. “Three years, I wrote you letters that you didn’t answer. I haven’t dated anyone, I’ve been crying over you for three years. The second I see you, you give me this” Joe said standing up, and yelling. He let his emotions get to him, and started going wild.
“Joe, please sit down.” Lena whispered scared, crying.
“No.” He said simply, breathing heavily. Lena began to stand up, and showed Joe her tear stained face.
“And you think it wasn’t hard for me. You’re the only boy I have ever been truly in love with. Sure Tim is great and I love him, but I’m not in love with him. But you can’t just show up here and expect me to love you ag-“ Joe pulled Lena into him and kissed her on the lips, and moved her hands up to his head, holding them tightly there, as Joe placed his hand on her hips. They moved in sync, as Lena pulled away, crying still, and even harder now.
“Lena, I’m still in love with you.” Joe said, he was now crying as well.
“Joe, I will always be in love with you, but what the hell am I suppose to do.”
“Love me back.” Joe told her.
“But I can’t.” She said, tears continued to roll down his and her face. She heard a car roll into the driveway and knew it was Tim.
“Meet me tomorrow?” Lena asked Joe.
“Sure.” He said smiling.
>>>
As Joe started to drive away, he saw Lena hug Tim, she held him so tight, and she saw a smile wrap around his face, a smile Joe hadn’t seen in a long time. Joe pulled down the dirt road, and parked the car, he let himself fall into the steering wheel, and sob loudly, and he knew what he had to do. He continued to cry, as he drove away and back to his hotel room.
>>>
Now, Joe sat on top of his hotel, staring up at the sky, like he and Lena used to. As he stared up at the stars, he remembered every time he had spent with Lena. Every memory, every time he ran his fingers through her hair, every time Lena kissed his nose, every time he tickled Lena until she cried and most importantly every time she kissed him. But he was starting to realize, no matter how much he wanted to be with her again, he couldn’t go back in time. They couldn’t be the same anymore, Joe was too late. He realized she had everything she had ever wanted with Tim, and that she was happy now.
Joe realized that he was in truly in love with Lena, and that meant that you want the other person to be happy. Joe couldn’t make Lena happy, but Tim could. Sometimes being in love means letting go, So Joe, packed his bags and went home, still crying. He didn’t meet Lena that next day, and he never saw her again. But he knew he had done the right thing, he had let her be happy, and he had let her fly.
