LETTING GO
By
Nikki Harrington
A sequel to Holding On.
Five years has passed since Ray shot Fraser. Four since he walked away from Fraser. Two since the last time they saw one another. Finally, Ray is ready to meet again.
An established relationship story.
Written: June 2007. Word count: 350.
Journeys end in lovers meeting,
Every wise man's son doth know.
TWELFTH NIGHT - ACT II SCENE III
JUNE 2000. ACT III, SCENE I
Benny was punctual.
But then Benny was always punctual.
He sat across the table from me in the coffee shop. Sat there, just as he'd done many times before. But this time was different. This time he wasn't wearing red serge. His days as a Mountie were over. He was just an ordinary guy, dressed in ordinary clothes. Not that Benny could ever be ordinary. He couldn't.
We sat and talked.
And talked.
And talked.
And talked.
Three hours later we were still talking.
I told him why I'd left. Why I'd gone undercover. I told him about being undercover. About the things I had to do. Had to watch. Had to endure.
He told me about Kowalski. He told me how they'd gone from barely tolerating one another to being friends. How though, they'd never been partners, not in the way Benny and I'd been partners. He told me how when he saw me in the hotel that his life had began again. How he'd hoped that things would be right between us again. That I'd . . . But how he'd known I hadn't.
I told him about Stella and me. Not that there was a Stella and me; not in that sense. We'd been business partners. Nothing more. We couldn't be.
He told me about the futile search he and Kowalski had gone on. How it had lasted four days before Kowalski had wanted to go back to civilization.
I told him that the bowling alley had been a success.
He told me that he'd rebuilt his dad's cabin.
I told him I'd let go. Put it behind me.
He told me he knew.
I asked him how.
He told me . . .
Well, he didn't tell me anything. He just kissed me. Right there in the coffee shop, he kissed me.
ACT III, SCENE II
Benny was punctual.
But then Benny was always punctual.
He took my hand and, with great care, pushed the gold band onto my finger.
I took his hand and, with great care, pushed the gold band onto his finger.
He kissed me.
I kissed him back.
Our journey had ended.
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