The long goodbye

The day she feared for a long time when he would have to leave
He would go far away and he was to never return to her again

That day finally came in late November when leaves were turning
Snow started to fall down on her rosy cheeks as she took one last look
As he gave her a final hug and a kiss, a tear slide downs her face
The man dressed in the long dark coat opens the door for the young man
He takes once last look and turns away, not showing the tears forming
He gets into the car makes a quick turn to wave
To his surprise she is gone
He sees her scarf lying on the ground
He quickly runs and picks it up
Holds it to his face, still warm and the fragrance of her perfume still lingered
Attached to the bottom was a note tied with lace
As the driver yelled for him he put the scarf in his jacket and got into the car
Years later his daughter was going through his belongings when she came across his torn coat
As she picked it up she noticed something dangling out of the pocket
She slowly pulled out the scarf her father had gotten
As she slowly ran her fingers over it she too held it to her face
The fragrance of her father’s first love was still there
She ran down stairs to get her father
She had gotten there too late
There lay her father with a picture of a woman she had never seen
Picking up the picture she saw the signature on the back
To my first love, I will love you always Rose Hemmingway
Closing her eyes she turned over the picture to reveal the face
It was as if she was looking at herself in a mirror
Never meeting her mother and now seeing her in a pictured torn at the edges
She burst into tears, holding the scarf to face she felt something jagged
Looking down she found the letter tied with lace
She carefully opened the note knowing no one had ever read it
A single tear ran down her face as she read the note:
My dear love,
Please take care of my loving daughter, raise her well. I have faith in you my dear. As we shall never be able to see each other again. Give her my scarf and tell her it will keep her warm whenever she has a chill. My dear love I’m sorry our families are too different. Together we will be again, it wont be too long. I shall see again so please tell her I love her and I’m sorry I could never tell her myself. I hope she will forgive her grandparents and me. I must go now please again take care of yourself and her. I love you my dear, please don’t ever forget me.

Your love,
Rose Hemmingway
Late November her father was buried next to his first and his last love
Snow fell on her rosy cheeks as she laid the picture of her mother in her father’s casket with the note beside it
As she gently unwrapped the scarf she wore around her neck and laid it beside her father
Gently kissing his cheek she told him I love you one more time
Turning quickly away she wandered off into the distance
Never to seen again by anyone or anything for that matter