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When He Was Here
By Catherine Marie
I adored
it when he was here. We went to the park, or took a walk, or just
simply enjoyed each others company. I love my sisters more than anything
in the world, but I felt like a part of me was missing when he left.
I loved him so much, no human can possibly comprehend it. After he
left, I put on a brave face and pretended to enjoy the time I spent dating
our neighbor. His name was Dan. Both my sisters seemed to like
him fairly well, but my heart just wasn't in it. When we were together,
all I thought about was how this wasn't right. How I should be with
him. I finally broke it off with our neighbor, and he was crestfallen.
I made it sound like a mutual
agreement when I told my sisters about Leo's exit from my life, but my
soul was crying out from the depths within. How could he leave and
never come back? But what could I do except wait and hope and watch
for that glorious day when he would return.
I recalled that fateful
day over and over in my mind. I relived the horrific moments that
haunted my dreams.
ìI have to go.
I'm not sure when Iíll be back, or if Iíll come back at all.î
ìWhat? Leo, I need
you, you can't just leave!î
ìYou'll find other loves,
Piper.î
ìNo, I won't. There's
only you. Iíll wait for you forever if I have to.î
ì ëTheyí might never
let me come back. You know the rules. We weren't supposed to
fall in love. It's forbidden.î
ìBut we did! Please,
Leo, don't go! Don't give in!î
ìI have to Piper!
Think of all the innocents I'm meant to save!î
ìIíll miss you so much.î
ìI know. Iíll miss
you, too. Go, Piper, live your life. Don't stay here forever
waiting.î
ìI love you so much.î
ìI love you, too.
Now, promise me.î
ìI promise.î With
that, Leo orbed out of her life, maybe forever.
When he was fully out, Piper
finished her sentence. ìI promise Iíll wait forever.î
It had been three months,
seven days, and eight hours since he had left my life. Not that I
was counting. I didn't think I could do it anymore. Please,
Leo, come back to me. Please, Grams, Mom, help me get through this.
I threw myself into my work. I hardly ate, barely slept, and saw
my sisters only if they were up very early in the morning or very late
at night (which was a rare occurrence). I often talked to Leo as
if he were standing right here next to me. For some odd reason beyond
my knowledge, I believed he heard me. I worked hard at the club,
which was doing more business now more than ever. Phoebe, who usually
came around, was nowhere
to be seen, lately. I attributed it to college. Prue was still
working hard at 415 Magazine. Leo was still gone. Forever.
Forever?
*******
It had been two years, eight
months, two days and I don't know how many hours since Leo's departure
from my life. I was in my office when I saw those beautiful, shimmery
blue lights fill the room. These were the lights I've been waiting
for. These were the lights that brought my soul mate. When
he fully materialized, he had the largest smile I've seen in my short life.
His eyes, the eyes that had been haunting my restless dreams for over two
years now, were filled with happiness and joy. I was in shock.
I had told myself over and over that he would return, but I don't think
I really believed myself. I willed my body to process what my mind
was internally screaming, to stand up! I walked slowly over to him,
and he held out his arms, arms that had comforted me, arms that had held
me in happiness and sorrow. He held me for lengthy minutes, minutes
in which I didn't even think about breaking apart from our long overdue
embrace. Eventually, he pushed away, ever so gently, and held me
at arms length. It was then that I heard the voice I had longed to
hear.
ìI've missed you.î
Three simple words. But words that, nonetheless, caused me to break
down into the tears I had been suppressing for two of the longest years
of my life.
ìHoney, what's wrong?î
I don't know how I managed
to utter any more than complete nonsense, but I did. ìI've missed
you more than you could imagine. I love you!î
He gripped me in his arms,
a tight hug, a protective shield.
ìI'm so sorry I had to leave,
but ëTheyí made me prove myself. ëThey said if we can prove to ëThemí
we won't let our jobs interfere with our work,î he paused. ìwe can be together.
And I want to make this work.î
He got down on one knee and
when I realized what he was doing, tears filled my eyes once again and
threatened to spill out over my damp cheeks. He smiled widely, that
smile I so loved. It lit up his intense greenish eyes with life.
ìPiper, will you marry me?î
The floodgates opened and the tears ran down my cheeks as I violently nodded
my head. He got up and kissed me.
I can't believe this is finally
happening, I thought. My office door opened, and Leo and I quickly
broke apart. Phoebe and Prue were standing there, shocked.
Phoebe broke out of her trance first, and ran up to hug Leo. Before
he was forced to leave, he and Phoebe were so close, anyone would have
thought they were brother and sister. They playfully fought over
silly things that made Prue and me laugh. Prue was next, and she
hugged Leo hard.
Phoebe, of course had something
to say, as usual. ìLeo, you know, I've had my own cereal for such
a long time, and I've decided I like it better when I can open the box
to see that my big brother has already gotten to it, because for some reason,
he and my sister wake up with the sun at unholy hours of the morning!î
Everyone smiled at that comment, and I realized what she said about ëbrotherí
was true.
ìReal brother now, Pheebs,
Leo's proposed!î My sisters squealed at the ring on my finger.
We went back to the Manor, and stayed up until the early hours of the morning,
making wedding plans, telling Leo about all he had missed, and followed
by Phoebe bringing out some of her and Leo's favorite cereal, granola.
******
Seven Years Later
ìMommy! Mommy!î
ìWhat, Patty?î an extremely
exhausted Piper asked her middle daughter.
ìWhen is Daddy coming home?î
ìíMember, Patty? Mommy
said he was coming tonight, then we could all get ice cream. Come
on, let's go play upstairs!î Piper gave her oldest daughter, Melinda,
a grateful look and proceeded to spoon-feed the newest edition to the Wyatt
family, Cassie.
Piper had married Leo, and
now they had three daughters. The oldest, Melinda, was named after
they're famous ancestor, Melinda Warren. Patty was named after Piper's
late mother, and Cassie was named after Leo's late mother, Cassandra.
They still lived in the Manor, with Phoebe next door and Prue across the
road.
The doorbell rang.
ìIíll get it!î came two little girlsí voices from upstairs. Soon,
there where shouts of ìAunt Phoebe!î
ìHello, my little bumblebees!î
ìHi, Phoebe! What's
up?î
ìHave you seen the paper?î
ìWhat?î
ìHere,î Phoebe handed her
sister the newspaper.
ìíP3, voted most popular
nightclub in town. Owned by three sisters, Prue, Piper, and Phoebe
Halliwell, who have made this club a huge success.í Oh, Pheebs, that's
great!î
ìI know!î Phoebe said excitedly.
ìHave you seen Prue? I want to tell both my big sisters that my name's
in the paper!î
ìPhoebe, you do know that
Prue's probably gonna care very little that her name's in the paper, let
alone yours?î
ìI can dream, Pipe, I can
dream!î
ìYou do that while I call
our big sister and tell her to come over for lunch.î
ìI will.î
ìI love you.î
