Paris, In the Springtime

A look of relief appeared in Robert's eyes but his body didn't lose the fight-or-flight stance he'd had when I'd first seen him. "That's great. I'll wait for you." He spoke the words precisely as if he didn't speak nice, often.

I dug my fingers into the cold wet metal grating and stared at the man I'd felt such a connection to in the restaurant's bathroom. Could it have been merely hours ago? I began to scoot toward him, pushing down on the soles of my Doc Martens for traction. Cold wet drops of rain pelted my head, shoulders and any and all of my unprotected body parts. The rain was like an incessantly changing curtain where I played peek-a-boo with the man who held out an outstretched hand as if it would encourage me to speed up my journey toward him.

Could I trust this man who told me he knew my brother Joe? I licked at the cut on my bottom lip caused by the grating and tasted the metalic flavor of blood. One way or another I had to get off this bridge. Was he the right choice?

But he'd known the last words I'd spoken to my brother before I'd left him, I reminded myself. A seed of hope began to take root in my gut. If he was telling the truth, would Joe be able to get me off this non-stop merry-go-round, with every seat on the wheel, a new reality?

My hand suddenly slipped. "Damn." I only just managed to catch myself before I fell flat on my face ... again.

"Stay there Sarah." Robert began to move toward me. "I'll come get you."

"No, stay where you are," I commanded. "I'm fine."

"Have it your way." He spoke the words as if it wasn't an option he allowed too many people. But he did step back against the tower's outer railing.

I didn't want him to help me. I needed the next few seconds to get my thoughts together. Was I doing the right thing? This was the rest of my life I had to make a decison about. Could I trust this man? Was he telling me the truth?

I studied the tall man in the dark suit with his outstretched hand seeming to be there only to help me get to my brother. Would Joe be able to help me live a normal life again? I'd almost forgotten what normal was. To have one day dissolve into the next without any changes, except the ones I chose to make.

"Come on Sarah," Robert's voice interrupted my never-going-to-happen musings.

"What the hell." I could see his face much clearer as the rain began to let up and I inched closer toward him. Why had I felt such a strong attaction to the man when I'd looked into his eyes? I so needed to know. But for the present I had no choice but to trust him because I was putting my life in his hands ... literally.

"You've almost made it." Robert leaned out, an excitement in his voice he couldn't hide, one hand holding onto the railing and the other extended toward me. Another few inches and I'd be able to grab his hand.

Warmth suddenly invaded my body and a bright light caused me to glance upward. It was as if Paris was celebrating Bastille Day and a hundred bottle rockets had been set loose into the rain-drenched sky.

"No! No!" I screamed out my protest as Robert faded and disappeared.