I'll be Waiting

"Yeah," he said. "Promise you won't get mad?"

"Promise."

"Okay, good."

And then he kissed me.

"If you don't bend, you'll break."

My mother had said it to me all my life.

Forget dreaming of anything but becoming a doctor.

Bend, Maira.

Don't date, only concentrate on your studies.

Bend, Maira.

Leave the American boy and marry the nice Bangladeshi man we picked for you.

Bend, Maira.

But in the end, no matter how much I bent for my parents, I ended up breaking anyway. I'd shattered into a million tiny pieces.

Maybe that was why I didn't stop Jude. Maybe that was why I let him kiss some life back into me. Maybe that was why I let him make me feel all the feelings I'd buried.

Because with Jude, I didn't have to bend until I broke. He loved me just the way I was.

My phone dinged when my driver arrived.

"I have to go," I said, pulling back. The wind rustled our clothes as we stood there in each other's arms in front of the store.

Jude nodded. "I know."

"We can't--This can't happen."

"I know that, too."

"I love you, Jude," I said. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

"You're gonna make me sound like a broken record, Mai? I know."

I let out a little laugh, wiping my tears.

"I want you to know something before you go," he said as he walked me to the car and held the door open for me.

"What's that?" I asked, getting in.

He leaned against the car, looking down at me.

"I'll be waiting."

Then he closed the door, and the car drove off, leaving behind the only man I'd ever loved. I looked over my shoulder, staring at him until I couldn't anymore, until the car had turned off in the street and he was no longer in my line of vision.

I'll be waiting.

Author's Note: This particular story is not based on true events, rather inspired by a real couple I knew some years ago who'd been in the same predicament. Madly in love, but destined to break up because of overbearing parents who ultimately won out in the end. That couple never got closure. To be completely honest with you all, I wrote this story in a manic state, half-drunk and running on fumes. I wrote this story using my imagination to, all these years later, give them the closure they never got. I'm not sure if this is the end of fictional Maira and Jude's story. What do you think, reader?

As always, whenever I post to Loving Wives, I'd just like to remind you all that I do not condone cheating. This is a fictional situation, written for your entertainment, free of charge. Your feedback is welcome, whether negative or positive, but please no abusive language.

Special thanks to my close friends Bebop3 and MsCherylTerra for their feedback. Thanks also to R.R. and G.R. for reading and offering both your friendship and words of encouragement. A warm, grateful thanks must also go out to my supporters: Adam, Beastie, P.M., SplitGeode66, and A_Bierce.