She looked in the mirror one final time before leaving her hotel room. It felt so weird to be back in the United States after 14 years. She hadn't wanted to leave 14 years ago but now she didn't want to come back. She dreaded the very reason that had brought her to the place she'd spent the first 12 years of her life. As she headed to the lobby she thought back to the events that had lead her to London and now brought her back. First her mother had died, tragically she was told, when she was five and then seven years later her father succumbed to cancer. Because he was the only family she had left in the states, when he died his parents had ungraciously accepted her into their home in London. It hadn't been easy but she'd survived. Now she was back in Orlando trying to pick up the pieces of her past.
He sat waiting for her in the lobby of her hotel, not knowing if she'd changed much since he'd last seen her, wondering what she looked like now. It had been seven years since they'd last seen each other. After he left her at the airport that day he'd spent a month in Europe with his friends before returning home. She'd written him every day for two years before he'd finally gotten the nerve to write her back. They'd only seen each other once since then and that was shortly after they're 19th birthdays, which happen to be the same day. She'd arranged a secret meeting, knowing her grandparents wouldn't approve, and they'd celebrated their birthdays, sharing a wonderful night together. Since then he hadn't heard from her at all though he continued to write to her at least once a month. It had come as a surprise when he finally received the letter asking him to meet her here. She said she had something to tell him, something important that could change their lives forever.
She entered the lobby and saw him waiting by the desk, scanning the room to see if he could find her. Slowly she made her way over to him and notice the look of surprise on his face when he realized who she was. "Nika is that you?" he asked using the nickname he'd always called her.
"Yes Howie it is. It's good to see you again," she answered, the English accent she'd gained showing itself in her voice, as she allowed him to pull her into a hug. "Shall we go somewhere and talk?" she asked pulling away.
"Yes please, I'd like that."
They headed into the hotel bar and sat down for drinks and polite conversation. After the hour of catching up she decided it was time to broach the subject she'd longed to discuss with him.
*Across the room*
A lone man sat watching, waiting for the right moment to interrupt. He'd been following her ever since her return to the US and he knew that know was the perfect chance to tell her of his presence. He closed the book he was reading and put it back into his brief case. Clicking closed the clasps he stood up and slowly walked towards were they sat. "Monika," he said coming to stand next to their table.
She looked up in surprise, recognition of the voice apparent in her eyes. She paled when she saw the familiar face before getting up and running from the room, both men staring after her. She disappeared into the elevator and locked herself into her room. It couldn't be him, he was supposed to be dead, that's what they told her. But it looked like him. "No...no...no...no...no..." she kept repeating to herself over and over again until finally in exhaustion she collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep. She didn't notice the door open or the figure come into her room and crawl in bed beside her cradling her in his arms.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered to her sleeping form.