The Note

Short story of when a couple come across the note they wrote to each other years later.

A woman is unpacking boxes in the living room in front of a warm fireplace. She is startled when a man comes barging in the front door. Heavy snow and strong wind followed him barely being able to shut the door. She walked over with her arms crossed trying to warm herself up.
“I thought you would have been on the plane already off to L.A. for your business trip, Enzo” she mentioned before greeting him with a kiss.

Enzo took his coat off and put his things at the front door.
“Yeah, well, the roads are covered with too much snow to drive through. Plus who wants to go to work when I can stay here with you” he added as he twirled her around.
She smiled “good. Then you can help me unpack”.
Enzo second guessed himself “in that case” he said walking back to the front door.
She continues to smile “uh-no. Come help me” she joked.
Enzo smiled back.
“Right. Wine…” he suggested and she agrees.

She is sitting in front of the fireplace again continuing to go through an old beat up box with no label on it.
“Iris” he announced handing her the glass of wine.
“Oohh” she said taking a sip. She sits the glass down next to her and continues to be incredibly curious about this box.
“I don’t remember packing this box” she said confused.
Enzo notices what box it is and he seems off put at first while he watched her pull some personal items of his out. He joins her down on the floor.

Iris pulls out a stack of paper going through them hesitantly.
“Oh my god” she shouts excitedly! “Are these some of your old stories” she asked?
He nods his head yes.
“Oh, my god” she reiterated lovingly. “You started writing after we lost touch. I never got the chance…can I read these” she asked?
Enzo smiled. “Of course you can”.

She stood up so excitedly and did not notice a folded up piece of paper fall out onto the ground. Iris spreads all the papers out on the dining room table. Enzo seen the paper fall out and he knows exactly what it was.
“So, baby, what was it that made you begin writing in the first place she asked?
He grabbed the paper from off the ground and held it up “this” he answered.
Iris turned around and seen Enzo hold the folded up paper with a apprehensive look on his face.

She seemed puzzled and sat down in front of him. “What is this” she asked?
“You asked me what was it that made me start writing and this right here was the start”.
He hands it to her and Iris becomes intrigued. She unfolds the paper and begins to read what was written on it.
Her heart melts and she sits back down in front of him “babe. It’s the note we wrote in class admitting our feelings for each other when we were in high school. You kept it all this time”.
Enzo grabs the note and he looks at it admiringly.
“Yeah” he said. When he looked up he realized that Iris was crying. He folded the note back up and he scooted behind her to hold her from behind.
“No. Baby. Why are you crying” he asked rocking her back and forth?

“Because, I feel guilty. We were best friends and I loved you so much but I was going through a lot back then and I was scared of hurting you or loosing you that I decided it was best if I left. We missed out on 15 years together because of that decision and I know I hurt you by leaving without a reason. That note was just a reminder of that and I will always be sorry.

Enzo has a twinge of heart ache reminiscing the past and felt like Iris needed some assurance.
“You know about three years ago there was this girl that I was seeing and she wanted to take the relationship to the next level but I felt like I couldn’t allow myself to take the next step. We would argue about it all the time. Said she felt like I wasn’t actually in love with her.”.
Iris leaned back into him getting more comfortable becoming invested in his story.
“One night after she said she needed space I started to clean out some junk and I came across our note. I read it over and over realizing that in heart I never truly moved on and you were what was stopping me from moving forward.”

Iris rubs his arm to comfort him and he continues with his story.
“I actually grabbed a trash can and a lighter thinking that if I burnt the letter than maybe it would help me move on”.
Iris looks absolutely hurt but felt like it was understandable. Enzo hugged her tighter to assure her that he loves her.
“But I couldn’t do it. I knew even way back then when we were in high school that you were the love of my life and I held on to that for so long I could not give up on us now. I’d always believed that we would find each other again.”
Iris looks back at him giving him a kiss.
“And look at us now” she said.
Enzo holds the paper up “and it all started with a note” he said.