Across The Miles
We are the perfect couple, we're just not in a perfect situation.
In exactly two hours Evgeni would be boarding his flight back to Pittsburgh to start his season. My heart was breaking. We had just spent the last four weeks together catching up and now I was losing him again. What we had shared was magical and I felt like I was living a dream. We had gone sight seeing and hung out just like old times, only this time it was more intimate and special. It was just us with no interruptions.
We drove to the air port in silence, much like the ride home. My stomach was turning, I din't want him to go, but how could I ask him to stay? This was his dream.
We made our way to his terminal and waited.
"Now boarding flight #771," was announced over the speakers.
"Well this is it," I told him as he put his bag on his shoulder.
"No this is not it. Annlie, I love you. I promise that this isn't the end. I will call you every day and I will write when I am on the road."
" I know but you said that the last time, but honestly, it's fine I know this is your dream.I understand and I'll be okay, honest."
"Anns, you are my dream. Hockey is what I do for a living, but you are what I have always dreamed of, being with you and having a family and future with you. You are what makes me happy, not hockey."
Speechless I looked up at him and kissed him. That was all that I needed to hear. For some reason I knew that this time would be different just by him saying those words.
"I have something for you, for after I am gone," he said handing me a small envelope with my name on it.
"Thank you. I love you Evgeni Malkin."
"And I love you too Annie Leslie."
He took me in his arms and squeezed me tight before boarding his plane. I watched as his plane backed out of the gate and made its way down the airstrip. He was gone.
I made my way back to the car where I opened the envelope. In it was a letter in Evgeni's handwriting that read:
Annlie;
I love you! Just writing that puts a smile on my face. You put a smile on my face. I love you because of your sweetness, your kindness, your tenderness and thoughtfulness. I love you because you are my best friend and my companion. You smile at my silly jokes and enjoy my corny sayings.
I love you because I have a longing to be close to you and you long to be close to me. I love snuggling with you in front of a fire and cuddling with you as we watch TV like we did my first night back. That is a night I will always remember. I love to be near you. I love holding your hand on a walk during the day and across the dinner table at night.
I love you because you respect me. You honor the man that I am, rather than try to make me into someone that I am not. You suffer my imperfections and my shortcomings without complaint.
Always remember that:
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step."- Confucius
I love you Annlie.
Always,
Your Evgeni xxoo
Tears filling my eyes and a smile across my face I ran out of the car and back into the air port. I was not letting him go this time. This time I was going to be right there with him through his successes. Now was the time that I got to prove to him that I wanted to be with him. He had spent the past four weeks proving to me that he wanted to be with me, now it was my turn.
"Next in line please," the airline worker said.
"Hi, I would like a ticket on the next flight out to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania."
We drove to the air port in silence, much like the ride home. My stomach was turning, I din't want him to go, but how could I ask him to stay? This was his dream.
We made our way to his terminal and waited.
"Now boarding flight #771," was announced over the speakers.
"Well this is it," I told him as he put his bag on his shoulder.
"No this is not it. Annlie, I love you. I promise that this isn't the end. I will call you every day and I will write when I am on the road."
" I know but you said that the last time, but honestly, it's fine I know this is your dream.I understand and I'll be okay, honest."
"Anns, you are my dream. Hockey is what I do for a living, but you are what I have always dreamed of, being with you and having a family and future with you. You are what makes me happy, not hockey."
Speechless I looked up at him and kissed him. That was all that I needed to hear. For some reason I knew that this time would be different just by him saying those words.
"I have something for you, for after I am gone," he said handing me a small envelope with my name on it.
"Thank you. I love you Evgeni Malkin."
"And I love you too Annie Leslie."
He took me in his arms and squeezed me tight before boarding his plane. I watched as his plane backed out of the gate and made its way down the airstrip. He was gone.
I made my way back to the car where I opened the envelope. In it was a letter in Evgeni's handwriting that read:
Annlie;
I love you! Just writing that puts a smile on my face. You put a smile on my face. I love you because of your sweetness, your kindness, your tenderness and thoughtfulness. I love you because you are my best friend and my companion. You smile at my silly jokes and enjoy my corny sayings.
I love you because I have a longing to be close to you and you long to be close to me. I love snuggling with you in front of a fire and cuddling with you as we watch TV like we did my first night back. That is a night I will always remember. I love to be near you. I love holding your hand on a walk during the day and across the dinner table at night.
I love you because you respect me. You honor the man that I am, rather than try to make me into someone that I am not. You suffer my imperfections and my shortcomings without complaint.
Always remember that:
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step."- Confucius
I love you Annlie.
Always,
Your Evgeni xxoo
Tears filling my eyes and a smile across my face I ran out of the car and back into the air port. I was not letting him go this time. This time I was going to be right there with him through his successes. Now was the time that I got to prove to him that I wanted to be with him. He had spent the past four weeks proving to me that he wanted to be with me, now it was my turn.
"Next in line please," the airline worker said.
"Hi, I would like a ticket on the next flight out to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania."
