dorothea: A Short Story

Instructions

I remember her, my one true love, Dorothea. Does she ever think about me? I fell for her when we were young in the neighborhood park, and have loved her since, but she chased her dreams, and I stayed here. I saw her on the news from my tiny phone with her shiny, new friends, Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, to name a few. My heart is heavy, but I have nothing but well wishes for her. I walked past the coffee shop that's been there since my parents' childhood, and the barbershop where my grandfather got his first job. She always complained that this place never changed. I think every day about how I wish to see her again, to hold her, and to tell her I love her, but she left Tupelo for Hollywood and never looked back. I was watching my comfort show when it was a commercial break, and of course, there she was, Dorothea, selling Dream Makeup Magazine, a weird name for a magazine, but from her I would buy anything. I reminisced about how we met, it was prom night and I was hiding under the bleachers, and there I saw you, never knowing that you would be the only person I ever wanted and the one person I couldn't have, "Hey" I said, "Hey I'm skipping prom to make my mom angry" She replied, "Why would you do that?" I questioned, a quizzical look in my eyes, "Seems fun." She replied, We just talked all night, and we became friends after that. I woke up to the sound of the news playing, welp, looks like I forgot to turn it off last night. My vision was kind of blurry, but it immediately sharpened when I heard the newscaster say, "Dorothea Willow has returned to her hometown of Tupelo. Her management has not disclosed the reason for her visit. It is the first time she has been in Tupelo since she left for Hollywood 10 years ago." They showed a video of her exiting her private jet at the Tupelo Airport. I have to go see her. I was putting on my jacket as I was heading out the door when I heard a sharp knock, the same knock that Dorothea and I invented when we sneaked into each other's rooms. I rushed to the door and opened it, and there she was, escorted by 2 bodyguards. "Hi," she said softly. "Hey," I replied. "Wanna go out for coffee?" She asked, I agreed, and we went out. We were catching up when I asked her, "Did you ever stop and think about me?" "Yes, I thought about you every day." She replied, and my heart beat faster. I was trying to look for a response when she said, "Do you still want to be an architect?" I replied with a soft "Yes, I got a degree and I'm working in a small firm here." "I have connections, and if you want, I can set you up at a firm in the city." I was shocked, "What are you saying, Dorothea?" She replied with the eight words that changed my entire life: "I want you to come back with me." We discussed it, and I finally agreed, my life was going to change. I walked her back to her hotel, and I said, "Thank you for all of this. I'll see you tomorrow." I was walking away when she called after me "Wait, I need to say this because if I don't say this now I don't think I'll be able to find the courage to say it at another time, I love you, I always have, the moment I saw you under the bleachers, when I left I was hurt for so many days but I wanted to be enough for you, or well you know, more than enough, I know you love me too, I see it in your eyes, and I wanted to fulfill my dreams before looking for love, and know I have, I've won many awards and I now have a main role on a TV Show and know that I've fulfilled my dreams I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I want you to fulfill yours too" I laughed, she rambled when she was nervous. "You are rambling, but I love you too." "Oh shut up, " She said before going on her tippy toes and giving me a soft peck on the lips. THE END