A Promise | Short Story

“Please, stay just a little longer,” she yawned in the comfort of his arms, feeling very much at home in his warmth. Outside, the sea sang a quiet lullaby and the moon’s glow languished with the dying night.

“You know I have to return,” he sighed, holding her tighter, revelling in the smell of her hair. After all these years, she still smelled of spring, freshly cut apples, dewy leaves and morning coffee. If he could turn back time, he’d pack his bags to leave with her. Instead, he turned to the sea, enchanted by the songs of fortune and adventure it whispered in his ear. “But I will come back again, someday. I promise.”

He asked her to stay in bed as he got dressed, but they both knew that as soon as he left out the door she’d rush to the window to catch the last glimpse of him returning to the sea, the mistress that claimed him in a storm all those years ago. And every now and then, she’d return to that place just to see him emerge from the sea. She knew he always kept his promises.

Thank you for reading Notes from the metro. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end.

I’m happy to share this story with you, but I didn’t mean to post this one at first. The story I had in mind was one I finished last year, but during revisions, I realised its gloomy, pessimistic tone isn’t in line with the kind of stories I want to create now. So that one went back to the rewriting queue and I decided to post this one instead.

If you enjoyed this story, please consider subscribing to get a new short story for free every week.

Until next week.

Cecilia