17.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

-Audrey Hepburn

That first year was beautiful because she was there. But as things in life always ends and begins, our love did not last as long as a young kid might dream. She had to leave the apartment soon after the first year we spent together, then it was the city she was whisked away from. With my fingers clacking at the typewriter in the old, crusty apartment, I could hear her laughter and see her blonde hair escaping around the corner.

Pulling the last page of paper from my ancient writing machine, I stacked the pages I had been collecting together. Taking a manilla folder, I slid them in and tossed it into a box labeled 'The Mean Reds" and took a deep breath. The box was going to my editor and soon after a few revisions, it would be another book in my authorship. My decision to finish the book after five years, was because Axel had just informed me of her return. She had been sighted in the city hanging around a certain jewelry store. There was a knock at the door.

"Hello my good friend," Axel pushed by, "I see that a certain author has finished his third book."

"Well, technically it was my first," he nodded, "But I guess thinking about seeing her..."

"Hey well maybe you guys are over that break up. It's been quite sometime," he sat down on the couch and kicked his legs onto my coffee table, "You've dated people, she must have dated people- maybe she's dating someone right now."

"That makes me feel better."

"Oh come on man, basically all you have to do is call her, see her, and spend an hour with her," the red hair he had shook as he chuckled, "Then you'll know how over her you really are."

"Really?"

"Hell! I don't know!" he turned around completely, "But you've finished the book and now you're going to mope and bitch about her every time you have a one night stand."

"Fine! I'll see her," I walked to the phone and dialed the number I had memorized long ago, hoping I wouldn't regret it.

She looked gorgeous, and it bit at my heart like the cool air to my noes as we paced down the city streets to a cafe. Seeing you're ex-girlfriends happy is never a great way to start off the spring but what could I do. Wrapped in her p-coat, I watched her pink lips turn red as she gabbed away.

"Wait!" she gasped as we stopped in front of the familiar jewelry shop, "Come on!"

"But-" she had dragged me in already, sucking me into our old playful ways.

"I want to get my necklace cleaned," she pulled out the box that I had given her the necklace in, "At the place where you got it from."

"Oh," the twinkle in her eye was unmistakable, and I knew I was still in love.

Standing outside of the store, we didn't continue walking just yet. Her cold little fingers were stuffed in my pocket, entwined with mine. We decided not to go to the cafe.

"I think I want to come back," she smiled warmly, melting me from the inside out, "I miss this."

"It misses you," I turned to look at her, "I miss you."

"It's been years," she shook her head.

"Yeah, well time didn't break my heart," my forehead rested on hers', "Distance did."

"I loved you," her pink noes rubbed mine, "And I always will because you saved me."

"I love you too," and then it was that simple kiss that brought her home.

My little apartment, became ours. The necklace became paired with a ring. The city became our playground as well as our kids'. This was the life I knew would be mine and hers, all those summers ago.