The End of Waiting

Evee stared out across the ocean and smiled in full appreciation of the sunrise waiting with her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin on her knees. Her deep red hair played in the breeze that surrounded her. She sat there unmoved until noon when she could feel her jade eyes brim with tears and her full salmon lips would tremble. She wouldn't cry, she couldn't cry.

So she stood up and went to work as usual at Manny's Donut Shop. She smiled to herself as she walked through the door seeing how busy it was. When it was busy like this, the only thing on her mind would be what coffee and what pastry she would be grabbing for the next customer.

“Evee, would you get your head out of the clouds and change into your uniform already?” said the store manager Cindy. She was a pleasant woman who about 5'8 and was pleasantly plump. “Evee, are you feeling all right?” she heard Cindy say. Snapping out of her la la land she nodded and went into the bathroom and changed into her uniform. When she came out she was wearing her full tan uniform that had a dark black line down the sides of the pants making it look like a really bad replica of a Marine uniform pant.

“Hi, welcome to Manny's, what can I get for you sir.” She greeted a short old man who would go to the shop every day and order a small black coffee. Of course the moment she had seen him she had gotten the coffee for him but it was her duty that she asks just incase he ever changed his mind. It was fresh and hot and the most important thing to Cindy was that everything gets to the customer as quickly as possible.

Walking home after work was always the best part of the day when Jacob was around. Now days it was lonely and awkward even though everyday Eric would come by the shop and offer to walk her home. Everyday she nodded and they would walk in silence and she couldn't understand why he would bother when it was obvious that she had nothing to say. When they got to the gate of her yard she stopped and turned to him to nod her goodbye but before she could turn away he reached out and held her wrist. Not threatening, just enough to make her stop. “Evee, when are you going to except that he's gone? He's not coming back. You know that, and I see you go down at the dock everyday.”

Her heart felt like there was a band around it and her eyes began to sting. “He loved me and he wouldn't just desert me.” She pulled herself from his grip and ran into the house.

Once inside her room she began to pace back and forth doing her best not to hyperventilate or worse, cry. “He doesn't know what he's talking about. He will come back, he will.” She chanted to herself. There was a light knock at the door but she was in no mood. She reached over and threw the first thing she grabbed, at the door, which happened to be her phone. “LEAVE ME ALONE!” she screamed. Now the hot liquid fire traced down her cheeks and there was no way out. What's wrong with me? He's been gone for three years! But, what would happen if he does come back and I'm with someone else?

The door opened and her mother walked in and gazed down at her daughter on the floor staring at Jacob's picture. She walked over and sat down next to her. Running her fingers through Evee's hair she said, “Oh sweetie, it's been three years. I'm not trying to be insensitive but if he was coming back he would have already. I know you love him and he will always have a place in your heart but he stopped writing two years ago.”

“I know, but I can't help it. I don't know how he could just not come back? I'm so confused… Why am I not enough?” she choked back a sob. Her mother pulled her close and they sat there mother holding daughter, as she bled her tears.

When her mother was satisfied that she had bandaged Evee's heart for another day she went down stairs to cook dinner. But not before stopping at the door and saying, “Evee, you need to know that no matter what happens in life, you are more than enough.”