One Love Forever
“Hey. What are you up to? Fancy meeting up? Where? At our café Perfect, Im already here, waiting for you.” Anthony slipped his phone into his pocket, still smiling.
He and Natasha had gone to school together. She was beautiful, slenderthe girl of his dreams. He was nothing special, just a bloke hopelessly in love with her. He knew he wasnt tall or handsome, but was love only about looks? If shed given him a chance, shed have seen all his good qualities.
Hed followed her around like a lovesick fool. Natasha tolerated his attention but never returned his feelings. He watched her date other lads, burning with jealousy, even seeing other girls himself out of spite. But no matter what, he couldnt stop loving her.
“Hi!” Natasha slid into the seat across from him.
Anthony had been so lost in thought he hadnt even noticed her arrive.
“Hi.” He couldnt hide his desperate joy, his eyes glued to her face.
“Earth to Anthony!” Natasha laughed, bright and clear.
He looked away, heart aching with the urge to hold and kiss her. At the next table, a man was staring at Natasha too. Anthony clenched his fists, barely stopping himself from shouting, “Shes mine!” Except she never had been.
“Fancy getting us some coffee?” Natashas eyes sparkled with mischief.
Anthony jumped up, returning with two cups and Natashas favourite cake on a tray. He sat back down, tore open a sugar packet, and stirred it into his cup with unnecessary concentration.
“Something wrong?” Natasha studied him, the playfulness gone from her gaze.
“Nothing. Just wanted to see you, thats all.” He slid a fridge magnet across the table.
“Thanks!” She picked it up, turning it over in her hands.
Theyd been meeting at this café, with its heavy coffee scent, for yearsalways calling it “their place.” A decade ago, right here, Anthony had confessed his love. Natasha had said he was kind, but they could only ever be friends.
“Look at all the girls around. You could make any of them happy.”
“But not you?” he asked.
“Sorry.”
Hed been so angry they nearly fell out. Natasha warned him thenif he pushed, shed cut him off. Terrified, he backed down. At least this way, he could still see her. Maybe one day
After that, Anthony kept his feelings locked away. He tried to forget herdated, even married, thinking it would kill his love for Natasha.
Shed seen his wedding photos online, congratulated him sincerely. He didnt reply. Later, he posted honeymoon shots from tropical islands, waiting for her reaction. It took ages. Natasha mustve been busyshe hadnt checked his profile. When she finally did, she liked every photo, commenting how happy he and his wife looked, how shed love to visit.
*”You couldve been her,”* Anthony thought bitterly.
He called, suggesting the café. And so it wentshort messages, birthday flowers, souvenirs from holidays abroad. Shed admire his tan, listen to his travel stories, but the moment he hinted at wanting her beside him in paradise, shed tuck the trinket away, thank him, and leave.
Years passed. He divorced his wifeshe couldnt have children, and he wanted them. But Natasha had her own life, no room for him. Then she married.
The pain was unbearable. Jealousy, ragehe dated other women, trying to erase her. Nothing worked.
One day, he saw a photo on her profilea tiny babys wrist, a tag with Natashas name and the birth date of her son. He congratulated her, howling inside at the unfairness. *He* shouldve been that boys father.
Anthony married again. When Ksenia gave birth to their daughter, Annabel, he almost believed happiness without Natasha was possible. He posted family photos, captioned *”My two favourite girls.”* He avoided Natashas profile.
Hed moved on. Or so he thought.
Then he left his phone at home. Ksenia snooped, finding old messages with Natasha. Nothing incriminating, but the mere fact She tracked Natasha down, saw his comments under her photos.
That evening, Ksenia screamed, accused, sobbed. Why save those chats? Why comment on another womans photos? “Just friends” didnt cut it. She threatened revengeacid, poison.
“You wouldnt.”
“Try me,” Ksenia hissed, eyes blazing. Terrified for Natasha, Anthony promised to stop.
They patched things up, but the marriage turned icy. Even Annabels laughter couldnt thaw it.
Then Natasha called. Wanted to meet.
He flew to the café. Shed changedstill beautiful, but dimmed. Her husband was cheating; she wanted a divorce. Tears brimmed as she spoke.
“Your husbands an idiot. What can I do? Want me to talk to him? Or punch his lights out?”
Natasha forbade it, calmed, then asked about him.
“Fine. Made another mess of my life. Ksenia and I are nearly done.”
“What? But youve got Annabel!”
“Your husband had a sondidnt stop him.” He sighed. “Ive been with so many women, none got pregnant. Thought it was me. Then Ksenia did. But I still cant forget you. Its like a curse.”
“Are you *mad*? That schoolboy crushits been years! Were *friends.*”
“Your decision, not mine,” Anthony muttered.
“Anthony” She covered his hand with hers. “I shouldnt have called. Im selfish. Stringing you along. I should go.”
“Wait!” He gripped her hand. “You *are* selfish. This friendship was your game, and I played to keep seeing you. You never cared how I felt. You call when *youre* hurting. I married to forget you. Youre my obsession. Its stronger than me. How much longer will you torture me?”
Natasha gapedshed never seen quiet Anthony erupt like this. He stood, tossed cash on the table, and left.
He drove for hours, cursing himself, her, the world. Tears blurred his vision. *Just floor it. End the pain.*
*”Whats so special about her? Beautiful and cold. One day shell be alone, regret ittoo late. Enough.”*
He stopped calling, messaging. If he checked her profile, he didnt engage. Posts revealed shed divorced.
Months later, they bumped into each other outside a shop. She was with her son. A little older, softer, but still radiant.
“Hi! Long time. Whereve you been?” As if nothing had happened.
“Nowhere. Still in the same flat. You? Not remarried?”
“God, no. Still recovering. Its just us nowright?” She smiled at her boy.
“Right,” he agreed.
Anthony bit back the words*I still love you.* Her sons eyes stopped him.
“Need a lift home?”
“I drove,” Natasha said.
“Let me walk you, then.”
At her car, the boy clambered into the back.
“Good seeing you,” Natasha said.
“You too.”
“Bye.” She waved as she drove off.
Anthony memorised her number plate, followed at a distance. He beeped, flashed his lightschildish gamesuntil she turned into her estate. He drove on.
“You took ages! Went to the other side of town? Wheres the shopping?” Ksenia snapped when he got home.
Hed forgotten everything the moment he saw Natasha.
“Met *her* again, did you? Shes single now. Why dont you divorce me? Go on, Ill agree. Youre obsessed!”
The divorce was ugly. Ksenia threatened to keep Annabel away. Anthony gave her the flat, bargaining for weekly visits. His mother piled on guilt.
One icy day, he took Annabel to an indoor play centre. And there was Natasha, with her son.
The kids played together, laughing. *”We look like a family. If only.”* The pain in his chest explodeddarkness swallowed him.
“Anthony! Someone call an ambulance!” Natashas voice pierced the fog.
*”Whos ill?”* he wondered, before blacking out.
He woke on a stretcher, struggling to breathe.
“Dont worry, Ill take Annabel home,” Natasha said. Her face was the last thing he saw before the ambulance doors shut.
She visited next day.
“How are you? You scared me. Thought it was a heart attack. Thank God it wasnt. Id better godont want to run into your wife. She said horrible things when I brought Annabel back”
“She wont come. Natasha will you visit tomorrow?”
Discharged a week later, they sat in the café again.
“Should you be drinking coffee?” Natasha asked.
“One cup wont hurt.”
“When you collapsed I was terrified. Remembered you following me at school, the souvenirs, our café meetings Imagining life without you Weve known each other so long, its like a long marriage. The passions gone, but theres attachment. Maybe thats stronger. I think we could try.”
“Natasha” His voice failed.
All those years waiting for this. He shouldve faked a heart attack sooner.
Next day, he persuaded her to apply for a marriage licence.
“You just divorced. Shouldnt we wait? Just see how it goes?”
“No. What if you change your mind?”
The wedding was smalljust the café. They postponed the honeymoon. Natasha wanted to see the ocean, but refused the places Anthony had been with his exes. He suggested the Canarieseternal spring, volcanic beaches, exotic birds. Sometimes, yellow clouds loomedsand blown from the Sahara.
When her son slept, they lay tangled together, listening to the waves.
“Natasha, Im so happy.”
“Me too. All that wasted time.”
“Well make up for it. Weve got forever. They walked hand in hand along the shore at dawn, the sand still cool beneath their feet. Years had softened the sharp edges of longing, replaced by a quiet certainty that had taken decades to grow. Back home, their children played together like siblings, building sandcastles and shouting with laughter. Anthony watched Natasha bend down to help, her hair catching the morning light, and felt a peace so deep it brought tears to his eyes. No more chasing shadows, no more silence between lines of messagesjust this, real and steady, finally theirs.
