Forever Entwined

My heart hurt, it felt like a decaying leaf in Autumn; dried and discoloured, fallen to the ground and trampled beneath indifference and bruised by disregard.

I never meant to hurt anyone with my words. I little realised how thoughtless the words were until I saw their faces as the last word left my lips. Forgiveness is not easily gained when heedlessly thrown away.

I stared morosely out the window. How could I make it up to Briony? How was I able to repair the rift between us? I thought back over the years we had spent our life intertwined knowing each other’s thoughts before they were spoken, finishing each other’s sentences, knowing each other under the skin, our hearts entwined together from the beginning.

I truly thought Paul was a wastrel and Briony would wrack her life on the rocks of his underlying callousness and indifference but she thought she loved him and my love for her could not tolerate her not being in my life.

I could only be there for her. Be in her life, even if on the periphery, to be available when the inevitable fall occurs. To be there I needed her forgiveness. I went into my workroom to create a gift from the heart.

I arrived at Briony’s door and rang the bell. I heard her footsteps approaching. The door opened, her face expressionless as she looked at me, leaving the door open she turned and walked back into the lounge. I shut the door and followed, I was thankful to see she was alone.

“Briony I am so sorry for my words yesterday” I said “I had no right to speak to you that way, please forgive me”

She turned and looked at me. “What is your problem, don’t you want me to be happy?” she cried.

“I want you to be happy more than anything in the world, if Paul is the one to make you happy, then I want Paul for you.”

I reached into my bag and took out the little box, cupping it in the palm of my hands I offered it to her. “For you, please forgive me.”

Briony took the box and opened it. I saw the pleasure on her face as she looked at the two silver embossed rings nestled in the box. “Oh Alaine, you made these for us. Thank you.” she cried. She read the inscriptions.

“Hearts belonging together, entwined forever” in the smaller ring and “Hearts forever entwined belong together” in the larger ring.

“Briony, I hold you in my heart, you are my dearest..... friend” I replied.

Image from Collage and Composite Album "Secrets"