Magic Words

"Well, I'd say it's about time to get you two back together. What's the lucky fellow's name? By the way, mine's Mark," he lightheartedly informed sticking out his hand.

Sharon shook his hand and started to give her name, "I'm...," but changed her mind and replied, "glad to meet you, Mark."

After giving him Eric's name, Mark immediately informed, "You're in luck. Eric happens to be a good friend of mine. But I'm pretty sure he's in class now. Come on, I'll get you inside and we'll see."

After knocking on Eric's door and getting no answer, Mark informed her before he headed off to his room that she could wait in the lounge area.

The campus was just too big. There was no way to track Eric down. Feeling slightly depressed, but facing reality, Sharon realized, 'I'll just have to sit and wait. He has to come back here sooner or later.'

But Sharon wanted to keep an eye on the front entrance. With little option, she stepped out of the dorm. Spotting a bench across the street, she thought, 'At least it's in the shade.'

**********

It had been almost two hours. Sharon was dying of thirst. But determined not to miss Eric, she kept staring at the dorm's front entrance and suffered in silence.

Suddenly her perseverance was rewarded as a familiar figure entered her peripheral vision. Looking down the sidewalk on the other side of the street, she could see Eric with an armload of books striding towards his dorm.

With her heart beating ninety to nothing, Sharon was about to get up and head him off when she heard a female voice call his name. Glancing in the other direction, Sharon saw a very pretty young lady waving at Eric... and her heart sank as she watched him smile and wave back.

When the girl and Eric met up in front of the dorm, Sharon's heartache ballooned as she watched them hug. Then the young lady took his arm and they turned and went into his dorm building. Sharon just sat there, stunned. Then with big tears rolling down her cheeks, she thought in despair, 'I waited too long? He's gone forever?'

After sitting there a few more minutes pondering what to do, Sharon finally realized, 'I have to know for sure,' and stood up. Scared and afraid of what she believed she would find, her legs felt a little wobbly as she started across the street, headed for Eric's room.

Mark came down and got her in. After reaching the second level, he asked, "Remember the room number?"

Sharon nodded.

"Then you're on your own," Mark said and headed back to his room.

At the last minute, Sharon remembered to say, "Thanks for helping."

Half turning, Mark waved and replied, "No problem, and good luck."

**********

Just after Eric and the pretty young lady had entered his dorm room, he informed her, "I really need a shower before we go out for pizza. If you can give me just a few minutes, I'll make it a fast one."

"No problem," she said, "take your time. Karen should be here by then." Just then a knock came at the door and she added, "Oh, that may be her now," as Eric quickly slipped into another room to change.

**********

Sharon had stood in front of Eric's door, just staring at his room number, trying to get up the nerve to knock. Finally with a deep breath, she lightly rapped on the wood surface and her heart almost stopped as it began to open. Then her emotional world collapsed as she found herself face to face with the pretty girl that she had seen hugging Eric.

After what seemed and felt like an eternity of silence, the young lady asked, "Can I help you?"

"I... I... I'm sorry," Sharon finally stuttered, "I must have the wrong room."

As Sharon turned to leave, the young lady asked, "Who are you looking for?"

But Sharon was already fleeing down the stairs as the girl shrugged her shoulders and stared after her in wonder. Just as she was about to close the door, Eric walked out with nothing but a big bath towel wrapped around his waist.

Looking over her shoulder, he followed her gaze downstairs towards the front entrance and said, "What are you looking at?"

The young lady replied, "I don't know... it was strange. A cute girl knocked on our door and when I answered, all she said was that she must have the wrong room. Then before I could ask who she was looking for, she took off... almost running down the stairs and out the front door... strange."

Eric raised his eyebrows and inquired, "What did she look like?"

The girl smiled, "Down tiger... but, if you're really interested. She was very cute," adding, "about this tall," as she held her hand even with her eyes. "But...," she paused.

"But what?" Eric inquired.

"Well there was one odd thing I couldn't help but notice...," she continued, still hesitating.

"Odd thing?" Eric snickered.

"Yeah... she had a weird scar that ran down through both lips," the girl added.

"Oh my god," Eric exclaimed as he brushed past her just before bounding down the stairs and out the front door while clasping the towel together at his side.

Once outside, Eric paused to look both ways up and down the sidewalk before scanning the parking lot across the street. Then he took off running for the only exit it had. The few but tiny pieces of rock and gravel hurt like hell but Eric just cursed and continued on, suffering the pain. Just as he reached the center of the exit, he spotted Sharon's car coming down the side of the lot.

**********

Sharon hit the brakes. The car came to an abrupt halt. Eric was standing in the center of the parking lot exit, naked except for a big fluffy white towel wrapped around his waist. He looked so comical that her half chuckle was suddenly stifled when she saw the pink scar that ran the length of his jaw. Sharon had forgotten, but the vague memories of that night came rushing back. Her tears started to flow as she wondered, 'How could I have ever hurt him?'

Leaning forward, Sharon laid her forehead on the steering wheel, and sobbed. Eric just stood his ground, not budging. 'This is her show,' he thought, 'she has to make the first move.'

Finally the car door began to open as Sharon slowly raised her head. Stepping out, she took a deep breath and walked towards him. Her knees almost buckled as she paused briefly to deal with the anxiety her deep rooted fears were causing. After regrouping, she continued on to face Eric, realizing, 'I at least owe him that much.'

Eric was standing tensely with both feet planted firmly apart, elbows out, and his hands clinched into fists pressing into his sides right above his hips.

As Sharon looked up into his eyes, she nervously said, "Hello Eric."

Eric stared into her eyes, pondering as he replied, "Hello Sharon," before curiously asking, "What are you doing here?"

Stammering, she replied, "I... I...," then caught herself with, "damn it." After pausing to take a deep breath, she continued, "I came to apologize.

"Oh Eric," and with that Sharon started to cry, "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry if I hurt you. That's the last thing I ever really wanted to do. It's just that I felt so guilty over the death of mom, dad, and sis. I felt somehow I had let them down and it was my fault. I felt that if I had been in the house instead of out that evening, I might have saved them. I know that sounds crazy, and I know better now, but it took months, and a lot of professional help for me to understand what I was feeling and going through."

"So, are you here to tell me that you're sorry, and that's it?" Eric asked in a firm voice.

"Yes, and no, I am sorry, but for more than just the way I acted and treated you. I... that's not how you share your life with the person you love. I know my actions weren't intentional, but that doesn't change the fact that they probably destroyed all my... our hopes and dreams, and that, I am truly sorry for. I'd give anything if I could take it all back and do it over.

"But the main reason I came, you have the right to tell me how you feel and what you think. After all that's happened, I at least owe you that much."

At that moment, the pretty young lady from his room showed up with another girl in tow. They stopped a few feet away and just stood on the sidewalk holding hands while watching with puzzled curious expressions on their faces.

Sharon was staring at them with a hopeless look when Eric said, "That's my roommate Carissa, and her girlfriend Karen."

"Are you and she...," Sharon started to ask.

"No Sharon, you don't understand. That's her g-i-r-l-f-r-i-e-n-d, and Karen is very jealous. I am the only guy who was willing to room with Carissa since Karen refused to let her room with a girl," Eric informed her.

Suddenly Sharon said, "Oh," then her eyes lit up with full understanding and she replied, "Oh, you mean...."

Eric looked slightly irritated as he said, "Sharon, I just have two questions before I tell you how I feel. The first is do you remember the 'magic words'?"

Momentarily Sharon looked a little confused, then her eyes grew misty as she nodded 'yes.'

Sternly Eric looked at her, and inquired, "Do you still believe in their power?"

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Sharon whispered, "Oh yes."

All of a sudden, with a big smile Eric told her, "Then just say them and have faith that everything will be made right."

Suddenly Sharon threw her arms around Eric's neck as he picked her up in a big bear hug. With her feet dangling in the air, Eric's towel came loose and slid to the ground. The gathering crowd let out with loud shouts, whoops, and whistles, but Eric wasn't paying any attention.

All he had ears for were the words Sharon almost shouted, "Oh Eric, I DO LOVE YOU, I DO," just before pressing her lips to his as they melded together into one. And in that split second, they were once again in their special place reserved just for them, as they surrendered themselves to the magic of their love.

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