Love Again

It wasn't what she expected.

It was a typical day, or so it seemed. She headed to the library. She needs some books the college library doesn't have.

She is searching through the stacks in the history section. Her paper is about the history of Georgia. You would think the University ofGeorgia would have lots of books on that subject but alas, most only give the sanitized history. That isn't all she is interested in. Yes, she is a southern Belle, a Georgia peach, and all the rest but she isn't blind to the wrongs her state has done.

Her focus is on this when she hears a gasp beside her. She turns quickly, her head going through all the self defense stuff she has ever been taught.

On seeing who is beside her, she drops the stack of books she holds.

He never expected to see her again. The last time he had, it was saying goodbye as his parents waited with the loaded moving van. His father had a new posting and there is nothing he can do about it. He has to go.

They were both twelve and believed themselves deeply in love. A crush, their parents had both said. At twelve, how could they know what love is? Both of them know the truth though, it is love.

“Romeo and Juliet were our age.” He remembers arguing.

“They were fictional figures.” His mom had said.

“And look how that turned out.” His dad had added.

It didn't matter what they argued, he was still taking away from her, and she from him.

Eight years later

He moved back to Georgia. As an army brat, he doesn't really have a hometown or home state but where she is is as close as he can get. Despite what both sets of parents had said, he has never forgotten her.

He gets a job as a library assistant. Once he gets enough money to get really settled ( right now he is staying in a boarding room) he intends to look her up.

To find her in the stacks, was completely unexpected.

He knows it is her immediately. Even after not seeing her for almost a decade, his heart immediately recognizes her. When she turns and meets his eyes, it all comes back.

The feel of her hand in his. The feel of her lips. The smell of her hair and the way it feels like satin under his hand.

“Thomas?”

“Lara.”

She almost falls over the books she dropped to get to him. He catches her and draws her into a hug. They cling to each other. It is all the language they need at first.

The body remembers. She fits right where she did, the last time they hugged, even though they both have grown more than a few inches. She still fits right under his chin.

She breathes in the smell of his skin, he of her hair. Neither move, standing over the pile of books as their bodies and souls get reunited.

“I can't believe you are here.” She says after an endless moment.

“I can't believe you are either.” He can't take his eyes off of her. She has changed but he can still see the girl she used to be.

“There has been no one else.” She says.

They come apart slowly. He helps her gather up the dropped books.

“For me either.” They move to a small table set away from most of the others. He sits the stack on it and they move the chairs to be beside instead of across from each other.

“What are you… I mean, are you a student at U of G too?”

Their legs are touching and they move so their shoulders are as well.

“No, I work here as an assistant. You are in U of G?”

She nods. “Have a paper on Georgia history,” a nod to the books, “their library is a bit biased.”

“Ah right. What are you studying?”

“Hospitality and tourism. I thought about you everyday. I didn't know how to find you. I even looked on Facebook.”

He laughs and she feels it to her toes.

“I should have made an account. I did planned on looking for you as soon as I got settled.”

“Settled.” She looks at him. When she catches his eyes, they both lose their breaths.

“Ah yeah,” he blushes at confessing, “I am staying in a boarding room right now as I save to rent a real house.”

“I am in a small shared apartment with other girls. College. Sweetie, you are my age. We are both starting our lives out.”

He is distracted by the ‘sweetie’. After a second, “That is true but you deserve the best.”

She rests her head on his shoulder. He can't breathe as his heart speeds way up.

“If I have you, I have the best. Do I have you?”

“Yes. You always have.”

“Then everything is good. Much better than good. We have found each other. After everything,” her voice gets a bit deeper, “all the moving, it is a miracle.”

He kisses her head, well aware that they are in public and at his job.

“Yes it is. I will be off work in three hours.”

“Oh,” she starts to move. He places his arm around her and holds her in place, “you are at work.”

“For the next three hours. Will you be around?”

She smiles and his heart leaps. “Absolutely. I still have research to do.” Nodding to the books.

“Oh right. Your job,” a look at the books, “ and my job. And then?”

“And then we go out on a date. Past time don't you think?”

He chuckles, trying not to be too loud. “Way past,” he sighs, “I really must go, as much as I hate it.”

He can't even recall what he had been doing before seeing her again.

“I will be here.”

“I will be doing something,” he thinks, “right. Stacking the shelves.”

“In three hours?”

“I will come get you.”

“It's a date.”

He stands before bending down and kissing her. It is gentle and appropriate for work and still makes them both dizzy.

“Yes.”

He walks backwards to keep her in his sight as long as possible. She only picks up the first book after he is fully out of sight. It takes her a moment to focus enough to start the research.