TRAPPED BY LOVE

Every time I looked upon The City of Lights from the top of the Roue de Paris, my heart made a quiet sigh. How could it compare to her beauty? The way strands of her hair floated in front of her face and reflected the light of the moon. The way her nose scrunched when she mocked my snorting laugh. How she smiled with her entire being.

I looked at Julie sitting across from me. Only a few feet separated us in that Ferris wheel cabin, but she seemed miles and a lifetime apart. She fidgeted with the promise ring I’d given her months ago in this very carriage. The sight of it pulled my heart into my throat. Why do you keep doing this to yourself? The words caught in my throat. I couldn’t say such a thing to her. I didn’t want to push her away.

“Oh, Leo,” Julie said. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I wish I”—she choked on the next words, took a ragged breath, and said nothing more.

Fireworks flashed in the distance, illuminating the Eiffel Tower. I closed my eyes. Their whistles and booms punctuated the night, and I was pulled back to a time before all of this. A time of summer laughter, late-night conversations, and the warmth of each other’s arms.

“I love you,” I said. “Now and forever.”

All was quiet. I felt the cabin shift as we began our descent. I looked at Julie and my mind wandered over all I wished to say. How she shouldn’t worry. How she should move on from me. I reached out to wipe the tears from her face. My fingers stopped mere inches from her. I sighed and resumed my seat across from her.

The cabin door opened and in popped the head of the operator. He took a quick glance around. “Ma’am?” he said.

Julie startled upright and wiped her tears away. “Yes?” she said.

“It’s time to get off,” the operator

“Yes, of course. Just one moment, please,” she said.

The operator regarded her for a moment, then nodded and ducked outside.

Julie took a steadying breath and rose to her feet. I stood with her. She looked down at the ring in her hands. She thumbed it once and set it down on the seat of the cabin. “Goodbye, Leo,” she whispered. She turned, and I watched her leave for what I knew was the final time.

John Chipman lives in Orlando, Florida. When he isn’t writing, he can probably be found in a palm tree or dodging high speed traffic. Follow him nowhere.