vii

Book VII
Juniper

I looked at Isaac and quickly looked away. He still had a deep purple welt above his right eye where Nickolas had kicked his head into a pole and every more he made sent excruciating pain through his side where he had 5 broken ribs, again courtesy of Nickolas. I should have seen that coming.

I hated to see Isaac this way, I love him so much, and when he was in pain I was too. I've just realized that staying together can only make things worse. I love him more than anything and losing him will be the end of my world but it has to happen one way or another, he would do the same for me. In my life, my volatile semblance of a life, things come and go so fast they make my head spin. Isaac is just one of those things, I struggle to convince myself. I have to let him go, let HIM spread HIS wings and fly away. Maybe someday, if this was truly meant to be we can be together again, but right now for his good I've got to let go. The excruciating and overbearing pain in my heart is not the matter at hand.

Gently I stroked his hair and look deeply into his eyes. As I take his hands in mine, his eyes probe mine, looking for answers behind the welled up tears.

I take a deep breath, gathering all my strength. "Isaac...this can never work out, we have to end this here, " I say, my voice betraying me and wavering.

"No, Juniper, we can make it work, I love you..." his voice is soft and pleading. I want so badly to agree with him.

"Isaac, look at me. This can not be! Don't you get it I love you! That's why I have to let you go. It's your turn to fly and get away from this mess. Staying here will only hurt us more and you know it. Go back to your family, take back your old life, the life before me, and go on." I pause and take a breath, it hitches past the lump in my throat. "Always remember I love you, and live your life to it's fullest. Love again, and let other people love you. Fly Isaac, fly�do it for me and someday you can tell me what it feels like to have the wind rushing past your face, what it feels like to fly above everything that hurts." I let go of his hands and left the room for the last time. I didn't kiss him or look back, that would make it too hard. He didn't follow me either, the shock was too much but someday he'll understand, I know he will.

*~*~*~*

A month later I stood in the church and looked at the empty altar after a Sunday mass. I though about Isaac, I always did, I wondered if he understood.

I felt a hand fall on my shoulder and I turned around to face it's owner. My face fell as the memories flooded back and I struggled not to cry.

Isaac pressed his lips hard against mine and pulled away. I could see unshed tears in his molten chocolate eyes. That one kiss said it all, it was some sort of unsaid peace offering between us, he understood now.

He turned away and rejoined his family. Isaac took back his old life, the one thing I knew he needed. I guess in some small way we always knew this could ever work out, we were just too different. From the start we knew that this would always be just one of those things, just one of those crazy flings.

:::the.end:::

*** credit for the title, as well as the closing line and basic theme for this story goes to Cole Porter for his song "Just One Of Those Things"