We stood together at the front of his car, in the midst of a crowded parking lot on the hottest day of the summer. His arms were wrapped tightly around my waist, seemingly as if afraid I’d fall apart it weren’t for him holding me together.

Maybe he was right.

A lone tear slid down my blushed cheek, and I wiped it hurriedly away, afraid he’d perceive me weak. But the second tear gave me away, and I couldn’t help but let the rest of the river flow wildly from my eyes.

Time was always an issue. A phone call here, a letter there, and less than an hour of physical togetherness was all we had. There wasn’t enough time in world for us. Never.

“Gumby, don’t cry,” he whispered, placing a finger underneath my chin, lifting my face to meet his gaze.

“Why are we so hard?” I asked, unable to stop the waterworks.

“We just have more to prove to the world,” he said, grinning in that special way of his. “We’re soul mates, baby. Together we can get through anything.”