And now I wonder
if I could fall
into the sky
do you think time
would pass me by?
Because you know
I'd walk 1000 miles
if I could just see you
tonight
--Vanessa Carlton, A Thousand Miles
His headlights lit a passing road sign. Only two more miles, and he'd be there. He speed-dialed her number, and she answered.
"Hey," he said. "I take it you got my text."
"Yep."
"So you're home? What are you up to?"
"Nothing. Reading. Passing time. Missing you," she said.
He glanced at the directions again. This wouldn't be the usual way he went.
"So you're up for it, right?" he said. "What I texted?"
"Going for a walk?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know," she said.
Oh crap.
"Come on. It'll be fun. You'll see once we start and you get some fresh air."
"It's not the same," she said. "Phone calls and texts."
"I know. But it's way better than nothing, right? Think about what it was like before all this technology. I could be across the street."
"You're far, far from across the street," she sighed.
He slowed for the exit.
"It's clear there, right?" he said. "Starry night?"
"I don't know."
"I checked your weather. It's clear," he said.
The view right outside his car windows said so. Spectacular.
"We can look at the same stars as we go for our walk," he said.
"You're three hours ahead of me. Your sky is way different than mine."
"No, actually I checked that too," he said. "I've got a constellation or two all worked out."
She laughed a little for the first time. "Yeah, you probably do."
He left the highway behind.
"You're going to walk that same way we did this spring, right?" he said. "Through that little bit of woods then out into the hills?"
"I guess. Does it really matter?" she said.
"Yes! I want to be able to imagine just where you are."
"I won't be able to visualize where you're walking," she said.
"I'll talk you through it," he said.
He was getting close. In five minutes, he'd pull over near the halfway spot. He'd start walking in the opposite direction as she left her house. Seeing him out there after 26 hours of driving was going to completely blow her mind.
"I'll call you back in five minutes," he said. "And we'll get started."
"Okay," she said, not entirely excited.
"Trust me," he said. "This is going to be perfect."
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16 comments:
beautiful :)
gets a smile on the face.
I kept thinking the surprise would be on him...but that's me being the wet blanket, I guess. :)
This is so wonderful.
Anyone who has ever been in a long distance relationship before *points to self* couldn't help but fall in love with this.
Perseids is this week too- my absolute favorite thing when it comes to starry skies--Perfect timing for a story like this about walking beneath the stars.
Hmm. I'd already been thinking about dusting off a piece of Perseids related writing and posting it this week, now I'm more motivated than ever.
~bru
Ohh that was lovely!
Some such moments make life so interesting.It is so overwhelming to see somebody when he/she is most unexpected.
Just beautiful,Jason!
"I'd walk 1000 miles
if I could just see you
tonight" ...those milestones bringing you closer.I ignore the lightyear distance and see u as the blur next door...
Bru- my sympathies with you...:)
26 hours is a long drive. I hope that halfway is a short distance. Like fifteen feet.
Jason, this is beautiful. I'm not sure where I clicked over from, but I'm glad I found your blog. Your writing is beautiful.
~ that rebel, Olivia
Haha, I'm a big dummy, you're on my dashboard, I found you the other day! :)
~Olivia
Very nice. I too kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Was she not alone? Was he a serial killer? Would something keep them apart? These are all thoughts I had while reading. I could easily picture the scene, hear the words and the emotions behind them.
Well Done.
Aw, sweet. :)
That song makes me think of this movie-really funny. Love it. LoL
Raj, that's all I can ask.
Damyanti, I think the hard part is going for the middle, more complex reality. It's so easy to go trite happy, or trite noir.
Bru, that's a great point about the meteor shower! A perfect night to lay back and watch the sky. Glad this rang true for you. I imagine there are untold thousands of long distance, technology-driven relationships these days.
Erratic Thoughts, distance is such a funny thing. It seems so irrelevant, and yet, it can ruin everything.
Walking Man, I think he needs to stretch his legs. And maybe visit the high weeds along the road.
Olivia, I love when folks find me at random! Please, make yourself at home. :)
Dan, this time, I wanted to keep that other shoe on. ;)
Oddyoddyo13, somehow I see Ellen Paige in that movie...whatever it is.
How utterly, utterly lovely and romantic. What a beautiful story to end my night with.
That would be a nice surprise indeed! :)
Love the song!
You just made me miss being in a relationship. That had me feeling just the right amount of love and warmth :)
Jasmin, your comment made me smile. That feeling is why I wrote it. :)
Mona, even though it might not come together perfectly, I think that it's a gesture that she'll never forget.
Atrisa, I hope you find an even better one. :) Soon.
A nice heartwarming piece although, personally, from the line "this wouldn't be the usual way he went" I anticpated where we were headed...so my curiosity was more peaked to how it was going to be concluded. (The trite noir part of me was blackly wondering if his concentration on the call meant he missed a felled tree laying across the dark road or, even more dark, he missed her crossing the road around a darkened corner.)
"I won't be able to visualize where you're walking,".... wat a perfect feeling...
Wen u r in a relationship, u want to know in and out of ur partner... as to where he is goin.. wat is he doin... in wat way vl he b doin n all.... Really Gud1. Rather a sweeeeet sweeet feeling... and may b the sweetest part of a relationship...i.e. missing the other person..:-))
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