“Will, you know you’ll never have to hide from me, don’t you?” Kate put her head on his shoulder gently.
He sighed, “I know.”
“Then why do you try to?”
“I…” He paused for a moment. “It’s just a habit I guess. I’m sorry.” She pulled back to study him, shook her head, then stood up and began to walk down the cobblestone street. He jumped up and ran after her. “Kate, what’s wrong?” She turned around suddenly, so that she was facing him.
“I just care so much about you, and I want to trust you, I really do, but you put up all of these barriers to keep me out, to push me away, and I just don’t think that I can do this, knowing that you are hiding from me, and…” He picked her up, spun her around and kissed her before she could finish.
“Sometimes, you talk just a little too much, Kiddo” He smiled that gleaming smile of his and she couldn’t help but laugh. He put his forehead to hers and let out a sigh. She stroked his face tenderly.
“What are you thinking about?” Kate asked dreamily. William chuckled.
“You’re always trying to get in my head, aren’t you?” She smirked.
“Always.” He relaxed his grip on her, took her hand and they started back toward the hotel where they were to meet up with the others.
“I’m thinking about how I wish we could be together.” It took a moment for his words to sink in, but once they did, Kate’s eyes fell to the floor. William looked at her apologetically. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” He let go of her hand and put his in his jacket pockets. She looked up, into his soft, gentle eyes, confused.
“What are you sorry for?” He hesitated, sighed, then answered,
“For falling in love with you.” Kate’s heart stopped.
“There is no need to be sorry for that.” Now he was the one that was confused. Kate laughed. “Did it never occur to you that I might be in love with you too?” A smile crept across Will’s face.
“Well I guess now I don’t have to feel guilty about kissing you before.”
“No you don’t.” They both fell silent. “Will, what are we gonna do? It’s not like we can actually be together…the distance…” He contemplated for a moment, then took a small box out of his pocket and placed it in her hands.
“We can make it work.” She opened the box to find a ring on a chain. “It was my grandmother’s.” The ring was beautiful. It was a thin band with metal vines intertwined around it, and a green sapphire in the center.
“Will, it’s gorgeous!”
“Something to hold on to when I’m not around.” Kate stood on her tippy toes and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you.” William smiled, took the ring-necklace and fastened it onto Kate’s neck, then stepped back and did a fancy bow.
“Anything for you, m’lady.” The two of them started cracking up just as James came running to meet them.
“There you guys are! We have all been looking for you everywhere! Will, your family is waiting for you, it’s time to go.” Will’s smile faded as he nodded his head. He turned to Kate, whose eyes had already begun to fill with tears. He pulled her in and squeezed her tight.
“James, can you give us a minute.”
James nodded slightly, then walked back in the direction of the hotel, which was just a few blocks down the street.
“Kate, please don’t cry. Please, I can’t stand to see you upset.” She buried her face in his chest.
“I love you, Will.”
“I love you too, Kiddo”, and with those bittersweet words, William let Kate go. She watched him as he walked down the street to his car. She stood there limply as he drove away.
Slowly the dream began to fade. Kate awoke suddenly to find her pillow wet with tears and her covers on the floor.
“William”, she whispered, trying to hold on to the image of him as the dream kept slipping away. It was so real.