SHORT STORY
Sealed With a Kiss
Caroline sat on the veranda smoking her cigarette and sipping her coffee…
Thank you to Susi Moore for this great prompt in Writing Prompt for Aspiring Writers (1).
Caroline sat solemnly on her veranda smoking her cigarette and sipping her coffee. There was nothing like that first cup of coffee in the morning. There was a slight breeze and her silk robe floated in it, threatening to take flight.
She thought about her day, and what needed to be done. She’d made a mental checklist a hundred times over. She didn’t dare write it down. Everything needed to run as smoothly as possible. Appearances mattered, and she needed it to look like she’d just disappeared.
Carl wasn’t a bad man in the beginning, but he’d grown cruel as the years passed. Perhaps it was his business failings or his marriage ending. Or maybe he was cruel all along and just hid it well. Caroline didn’t care anymore. It was over.
She always thought that waiting for him to leave his wife would be the biggest hurdle in their relationship. And then she thought that settling into a relationship where they saw each other every day would be difficult. But instead, it was beautiful.
She’d write during the day and at night, they cooked dinner together and laughed. They laughed all of the time back then. Afterward they’d put on some Miles Davis or Sarah Vaughn and dance the night away. On warm evenings they’d open up the doors to the veranda and let the night air envelop them. And then they’d make love until the sun peeked it’s head.
Caroline never imagined a life like that for herself. She had always been shy, timid even. But that first night she saw Carl, she knew. She knew that she’d do anything, wait any amount of time and go anywhere for him.
They spotted each other across the room at a friend’s gallery opening. He was with a group of people, and she walked right up to him, as though it was only the two of them. She introduced herself and they ended up talking for hours, about everything. Her friend’s art, the meaning of life, their favorite vacation destinations.
It turns out that they both loved this little out of the way bistro in Saint-Tropez. There weren’t any menus, the owner brought you whatever was fresh from that day’s catch. And they both loved to sail. Carl promised to give her sailing lessons on his yacht someday. And that’s how it all started.
But there was a coldness to the evenings now. An absence of laughter. The flat was devoid of music. He’d started coming home later and later. Until he didn’t come home at all. Caroline knew that he had another woman somewhere. Someone beautiful and as new as she had been. Someone exciting. Someone who’s secrets he didn’t know yet.
Caroline drank the rest of her coffee and stubbed out her cigarette. It was time to begin. She tightened her robe and slipped on her errant sandal. She picked up the cup and ashtray and headed inside. She pulled out a mop and bucket from the cupboard and began to scrub the memories clean. Not the good ones, just the bad. She wanted to remember him as he had been. As they had been.
When she finished she went into the bedroom and changed. She pulled a bag out from underneath the bed. She checked it one more time. All she needed was her laptop and a passport, and she could find comfort anywhere. Carl had helped her with that.
She did one last check. Her face went flush from fighting back her tears. She left the key on the console along with a letter, sealed with a kiss.
Thank you for reading my story. I’d love to hear your opinions.
You can check out some more of my writing and follow me here. (She, Her) I am a writer and a freelance editor. I edit all genres, and I specialize in Romance. I write a little bit of everything, whatever is on my mind at the moment. Get an email when I publish a new story.
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