They stared at each other across the airport terminal
They couldn’t believe their eyes
It was twenty-two years since they had last seen each other
Since he had broken her heart and left her to pick up the pieces

She felt the old wound stir again and open inside her heart
Her hand clutched her chest and willed her heart to beat
His eyes shone with tears unshed
His guilt written all over his stricken face

Their spouses were watching the luggage coming in
And did not see or feel the atmosphere change around them
Did not realise the wave of emotions their spouses were experiencing
How they felt like the rest of the people around had disappeared

She couldn’t take her eyes off him
As anger, sorrow, love and sadness flew across her face
His sad eyes held her gaze
Trying to communicate through this eyes what he should have said then

They were so young, full of dreams and hopes for a future together
He broke her heart without a single thought
And walked away without any words
Leaving her to wonder for the rest of her life – what went wrong?

He didn’t know the years she spent agonising over that question
The self-doubts and fears that kept her from falling in love again
He had moved on very quickly
Life did not really change much for him

Right then her husband came back with their luggage
Smiled at her in that special way as only someone deep in love would
She gazed at her husband, reorienting back to the present
Remembering what a wonderful life they had built together

They were going to leave and he would never see her again
He had to do something before she vanished again from his life
He rushed toward her, almost knocking her off her feet
As her husband caught her by the shoulders before she fell

She stared at him, wondering what was going on with him
He looked at her with regret and sadness and said…
“I’m sorry. That was completely my fault. I hope I have not hurt you too much.”
She stammered, “No it’s alright. I’ll be fine.”

A weight they didnt know they had carried for so long
Lifted from both their hearts
They left with their spouses, with a sense of newfound peace
They had finally given each other the gift of closure