Faith

This is not an erotic short story. Just be warned. If you're looking for my usual fare, please click My Stories

I had fun writing stories for the Literotica 750 Word Challenge, but my OCD wanted to do a nice round 1,000 words, so here we are. A three-part series each containing exactly 1,000 words.

This is Part 1.

I hope you enjoy reading them!

Love, Frey

"Hey," she said.

"Oh! You startled me. I wasn't expecting anyone."

"Sorry. Mind if I join you?"

"I guess not. Have a seat."

"This is a great view."

"Yeah. You can see the whole city from up here."

"It's beautiful."

"Sometimes."

"My name is Vera."

"Finn." He gave her a small nod.

"That's an unusual name."

"I was named after my grandfather. It's an Irish name."

"Oh."

"It means blessed or something."

"Well, that's nice."

"I don't feel blessed."

"Sometimes I don't either."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

They both stared out over the city for a few minutes, then Vera asked, "Do you come up here a lot?"

"Sometimes."

"Sometimes you come up here a lot?"

He silently chuckled. "Sometimes I come up here." Then added, "Not a lot. When I need to think."

"What were you thinking about?"

"I don't know."

"Um-hmm."

"Yeah."

"You climbed all the way up here because you needed to think."

Finn said nothing.

"And you're telling me that you don't know what you were thinking about?"

He stared out at the horizon that was just beginning to show the bland rust that would soon become the glorious burst of colors heralding a new day.

"You don't have to tell me."

"Hmm."

"We can just sit here and watch the sunrise."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Maybe not... But I might."

She reached a tentative hand out and after a moment, he took it gratefully as a tear started its lonely journey down his cheek.

"My wife has cancer."

"I'm so sorry to hear that."

They both sat, hand-in-hand.

"She's in a coma and not expected to make it."

"That must be very difficult for you."

"It is."

She waited patiently for him to continue and eventually he did.

"We've been married for eighteen years. I don't know what I'll do without her..."

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"We met in high school. High school sweethearts. She was my first and only love."

Vera watched his face, devoid of emotion save for his tears reflecting the early morning light as he stared at the horizon.

"Now, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do."

"What do you want to do?"

He thought for a moment, then turned to Vera. "I can't live without her."

Vera nodded not in agreement, but in understanding.

Finn looked away again. "She won't last the week."

Vera watched as his face slowly melted into despair.

"I can't watch her die. I just can't."

After a few minutes, Vera asked, "Do you have anyone you can talk to about this?"

"No." He sighed. "Ana -- Anastasia, that's her name... She's all I have," then amended his statement, "All I had."

He let go of Vera's hand and wiped his eyes. "I have no one. I have nothing, now."

"You can talk to me."

"But who are you? I mean, why are you up here? Where did you even come from?"

"I'm just someone that was out for an early morning walk who happened to look up and see you on the bridge." Then Vera cautiously added, "You looked lonely."

"Well, I guess sitting up here by myself in the darkness before dawn certainly would make someone look kind of lonely." Vera saw him smile for the first time. She smiled back.

"She was my entire life. We never had kids. We tried, but it just never happened. So, we built our life together. Just Ana and I." Finn squinted into the rising sun. "It was a simple life, but it was all we wanted. Just each other."

He took a deep breath. "Then she got sick."

Vera reached for his hand again and he took it. "How long ago did she get sick?"

"About a year ago."

"That must have been very hard on you both."

"Ha!" There was no humor in his short laugh. "You have no idea."

"No. I'm sure I don't."

They sat for a few more minutes watching some seagulls and listening to the city awakening around them.

"Ana left her job, of course... For treatment." Finn stated. "I quit mine to care for her. We had some savings." He paused, then added as almost an afterthought, "It's almost gone."

A long time passed before he finally finished his thought. "And when Ana's gone, I'll have nothing."

He looked at Vera and she could see the desperation in his hollow eyes. The despair. The loss. And it broke her heart.

"I don't want to watch her die."

"So, you're up here?"

"Yes."

"Not to think?"

Finn looked away.

"Things might get better," Vera offered.

"How?"

"Sometimes you just have to believe."

"Believe?" He smiled ruefully. "Believe in what? A universe that's tearing my life apart?"

"Just believe."

"Believe?" Finn looked at her. "But in what?" He demanded. "You came up here. If you have all the answers, then tell me what I'm supposed to believe in."

"Belief."

"Believe in belief?"

"Yes."

Finn took his hand back and looked away. "You're insane."

Now, it was Vera's turn to chuckle humorously. "Maybe so." She placed a tender hand on his shoulder. "But is this what you think Ana would want?"

Finn slumped. "No."

"Would she want you to continue?"

He looked down at his hands slowly writhing on his lap. "Yes."

"Do you believe that?"

He looked at her and said nothing, but she could read his answer on his face.

"Do you believe that she loved you?"

Finn blinked back more tears.

"With all of her heart?"

Finn closed his eyes.

"As much as you loved her?"

Finn nodded.

"Not everything ends happily. Sometimes things just end. And sometimes things end tragically... Sometimes, we can change the endings. Sometimes not" She paused. "But maybe we can change what happens next."

"You don't want to jump, do you?" She asked him.

"No. Not anymore... Not right now."

"Then let's climb down."

"Okay."

"We'll get you some help." She took one of his hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Together."

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Thank you so much!

Love, Frey

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