The Story Of Sophia

Sophie and Kalle spent most of the day together, like they used to before all this mess started. Being with him instigated the greatest mix of desire and love she had ever felt in her life. They were lying on the bed, naked, her head resting on his chest, just enjoying each other’s company. Sex was always intense, but somehow, it was never really tiring.

It was time for her to go back to her world. Her reality. She took a deep breath, let out a sigh, and started getting dressed. After a moment, he walked to her slowly, touched her face and kissed her lips with the intricacy of a last kiss and the softness of a real love. His eyes were fixated on her while she walked out of his bedroom, then out of his apartment. And he wondered if this would finally be the time when she walked out of his life.

He spent all night awake, alone on his bed, thinking of her. Trying to find a way to push her fully and irrevocably out of his mind. The harder he tried, the more her essence consumed his thoughts.

-

The night was restless and long. But the morning had to come. And, with it, his wife, arriving from her latest business trip. The sound of her key unlocking the door ruthlessly brought him back to his reality.

"Is it coffee I smell? Bless your soul, Kalle. It was such an early flight I didn't have breakfast yet."

Kalle forced a smile while getting up from the bed, gently kisses Fatima's left cheek, then walks onto the kitchen. "Let me pour you a cup. How was the trip?

-

Sophia was on her way home, trying to ignore how cold this winter night felt. Trying to ignore how alone and empty she felt. She was looking down, so she saw, and recognized, his Adidas shoes first, looking up to meet his eyes, nearly piercing through her soul. How could eyes be this bright in such a dark night? Oh, he made it hard for her to get over him. If he was married, he should stay with his wife. But, instead, here he was. His very presence an enticing invitation to their entangling history and opening the doors to the possibilities of a new, forbidden, story.

They started walking. Together. In silence. Even though he lived in a completely different direction. A different city, even. Sometimes it felt like he lived in a different world. Sometimes she wished he lived in a different world, just to make the pain bearable. Or, at least, acceptable.

The night was freezing, but they stopped at a park, sat on a bench, and then they talked. Not about love or complicated things. They talked about random things that came to their minds, like the old friends that they were.

Dawn was noticeably creeping in on them. He stood up, gently took her hand and walked her home. What would be a long walk on any day, felt like a few minutes. Before they could close their thoughts on the night, they were but a block away from her house.

While tears streamed down her face, she lightly touched his lips with hers and said: “We should learn how to live without each other.” He held back tears, smiled at her with the saddest eyes she had ever seen in her life, then walked away.

Sophia went inside her home silently, took a long shower and laid down quietly beside her husband, who was still deep asleep.

The Story Of Sophia was originally written in 2016, by Jacqueline Kelly, and is a prequel to Betrayal — available on Amazon Vella!