One Love Forever
“Hey. What are you up to? Fancy meeting up? Where? At our café Perfect, Im already here, waiting.” Anthony slipped his phone into his pocket, still smiling.
He and Natasha had gone to school together. She was beautiful, gracefulthe girl of his dreams. He, on the other hand, was nothing specialjust an ordinary bloke hopelessly in love with her. He knew he wasnt tall or handsome, but was love really only about looks? If shed just given him a chance, she might have seen all the good in him.
He followed her around like a devoted page. Natasha accepted his attention kindly but never returned his feelings. He watched her with one bloke after another, burning with jealousy, anger, and hurt. Out of spite, he dated other girls, but he only ever dreamed of her, unable to let go.
“Hi!” Natasha slid into the seat across from him.
Anthony had been so lost in thought he hadnt even noticed her approach.
“Hi.” He couldnt hide the desperate joy in his voice, his eyes glued to her.
“Earth to Anthony!” Natasha laughed brightly.
He looked away, his chest aching with the urge to hold and kiss her. At the next table, a man was staring at her too. Anthony clenched his fists, barely stopping himself from snapping, “Eyes off! Shes mine!” Except she never had been.
“Could you grab us some coffee?” Mischief danced in Natashas eyes.
Anthony hurried to the counter and returned with two cups and Natashas favourite cake. He sat back down, tore open a sugar packet, and stirred it absently.
“Something wrong?” Natasha studied him, her playful expression fading.
“Nothing. Just wanted to see you.” 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 for yearsthe smell of coffee forever clinging to the walls. Ten years ago, in this very spot, hed confessed his love. Natasha had called him sweet but said they could only ever be friends.
“Look around. There are so many lovely girls here. You could make any of them happy.”
“But not you?” Anthony asked.
“Sorry.”
Back then, hed been so angry they nearly fell out. Natasha warned him if he kept pushing, shed cut ties completely. Terrified, he backed off. Better thisthese café meetingsthan nothing. Maybe one day
From then on, Anthony buried his feelings. He tried moving ondated, even marriedhoping it would erase his love for Natasha.
She saw his wedding photos online, congratulated him sincerely. He didnt reply. Later, he posted honeymoon pictures from a tropical island, 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 there with me,* hed thought bitterly.
He called, suggesting they meet at the café. And so it wentbrief messages, birthday flowers, little souvenirs from his holidays abroad. She liked his posts; he took her enthusiasm as hope. Natasha accepted his gifts, listened to his travel stories, admired his tan. But whenever he hinted at wanting to share those adventures with *her*, shed tuck the souvenir away, thank him, and leave.
Years passed. He divorcedhis wife couldnt have children, and he longed for a family. But Natasha had her own life, no room for him. Then she married.
The pain was unbearable. Jealousy and despair consumed him. He dated others, trying to forget, but nothing worked.
One day, he checked her profile and saw a tiny handa hospital bracelet with Natashas name and her sons birth date. He congratulated her, howling inside at the unfairness. *That shouldve been my child.*
Anthony tried againremarried. When his wife, Emily, gave birth to their daughter Lily, he thought maybe happiness without Natasha was possible. He posted pictures, calling them his two girls, his joy. He avoided Natashas profile.
Hed moved on. Or so he thought.
Then, one day, he forgot his phone at home. Emily found old messages with Natasha. Nothing incriminating, but the sheer fact of them She stalked Natasha online, saw his comments.
That evening, Emily eruptedscreaming, crying. Why had he kept those messages? Why comment on another womans photos? Just an old school friend, he insisted. She refused to listen, accused him of cheating, threatened to ruin Natashas face or worse.
“You wouldnt.”
“Try me.” Her eyes burned with terrifying resolve. Fear for Natasha made him promise to cut contact.
Emily cooled, but their marriage grew icy. Even Lilys laughter couldnt thaw it.
Then Natasha called. They met at the café.
Shed changed. Still beautiful, but dimmed. Her husband was cheating; she wanted a divorce. Tears welled as she spoke.
“Your husbands a fool. What can I do? Want me to talk to him? Or punch him?” Anthony offered.
Natasha refused. Calmer now, she asked about his life.
“I messed up again. Ruined things with Emily. Probably divorcing soon.”
“But you have Lily!”
“Your son didnt stop your husband from straying.” He sighed. “Ive been with so many women, but only Emily got pregnant. Thought it was meeven got tested. But I still cant forget you. Its like a curse.”
“What? Thats insane! I thought youd moved on. Its been *years*were *friends*.”
“*You* decided that. Not me.”
“Anthony” She covered his hand with hers. “Im sorry. I shouldnt have called. Im selfishI never realised I was leading you on. I should go.”
“Wait.” He gripped her hand. “You *are* selfish. Blind. You made the rules, and I played along just to see you. You never cared what I felt. You only call when *you* hurt. I tried forgetting youmarried out of spite. Youre an obsession. Like in *Twilight*imprinted. I cant help it. I know Im no Hollywood heartthrob. How much longer will you torture me?”
Natasha stared, stunned by his outburst. Anthony stood, tossed cash on the table, and left.
He drove for hours, cursing himself, her, the world. He wanted to scream, floor the accelerator, end the pain.
*Whats so special about her? Beautiful and cold. Shell fade, end up alone, regret itbut itll be too late.*
He stopped calling, messaging. If he checked her profile, he didnt engage. Posts hinted shed divorced.
Months later, they bumped into each other at a shop. She was with her son. A little older, softer, but still radiant.
“Hi! Long time no see. Whereve you been?”
“Nowhere. Same place. You? Not remarried?”
“Ugh, dont even ask. Still recovering. Men? No thanks.” She smiled at her son. “Were good, right?”
“Right,” the boy agreed.
Anthony longed to say he still loved her, but the childs eyes silenced him.
“Need a lift? Ill walk you to your car.”
Natasha unlocked it, her son climbing in.
“Good seeing you,” she said.
“You too.”
“Bye.” She waved and drove off.
Anthony memorised her number plate, followed her. He beeped, flashed his lights. When space allowed, he drove beside her until honking forced him aside. He switched lanes, now aheadshe flashed back. They joked like kids until she turned into her estate. He drove on.
“Whereve you been? Shopping at the other end of town? Wheres the food?” Emily snapped when he got home.
Hed forgotten everything after seeing Natasha.
“Met *her* again, didnt you? Shes single nowgo on, leave! Youre obsessed!”
The divorce was ugly. Emily threatened to keep Lily from him. He gave her the flat, bargaining for weekly visits. His mother piled on, berating him.
One cold day, he took Lily to a play centre. Natasha and her son were there.
The children played happily. *We look like a family. If only.* His chest tightened, vision darkening.
“Anthony? Someone call an ambulance!” Natashas voice pierced the fog.
*Someones ill,* he thought, then blacked out.
He woke being carried, a crushing weight on his chest.
“Dont worry, Ill take Lily home,” Natasha said. Her face swam above him.
“Step back,” a paramedic ordered. The doors shut.
Natasha visited next day.
“You scared me! Thought it was a heart attack. Thank God it wasnt. Ill godont want to run into Emily. She said horrible things when I brought Lily home”
“She wont come. Natasha will you visit tomorrow?”
Released a week later, they sat in the café again.
“Should you be drinking coffee?” Natasha asked.
“One wont hurt.”
“When you collapsed I was terrified. I remembered school, your gifts, our meetings Imagining life without you Weve known each other so long, its like a marriage. Passion fades, but whats lefthabit, carethat might matter more. Maybe we could try”
“Natasha” He couldnt speak.
All those years of longing All it took was a near-death scare to hear *yes*.
Next day, he convinced her to register their marriage.
“You just divorced. Shouldnt we take it slow?”
“No. What if you change your mind?”
The wedding was quietjust the café. They postponed the honeymoon. Natasha longed to see the ocean but refused the places hed been with exes. He suggested the Canarieseternal spring, volcanic beaches, exotic birds. Sometimes, yellow clouds rolled insand blown from the Sahara.
When her son slept, they lay entwined, listening to the waves.
“Natasha, Im so happy.”
“Me too. All that wasted time”
“Well make up for it. Weve got forever.”
**Lifes lesson:** Love isnt always about grand passion. Sometimes, its the quiet, steady bondthe one that survives years, heartbreaks, and mistakesthat truly lasts.
