Veronica

Tom reminisces about a previous relationship.

Tom began to relax as the plane jetted higher and higher above the clouds.  The morning had been fretful, him almost missing his flight, but now he was beginning to relax, having loaded onto the plane in the nick of time.

 

A voice announced on the speaker that passengers could begin using electronic devices, and he remembered with some slight irritation that, in his hurry, he had not charged his laptop.  Instead, he went to the gallery on his smartphone and scrolled through his photos searching for pictures of Veronica he had taken several years back.  As he did so, his heart pumped just a little faster and hormones surged just a little more quickly, his body reacting as it always did when his mind went to her.

 

Though he had always felt a strong connection with her, in the end she had left him for another, just as most of the others had.  But he’d resisted the urge to feel resentful, and had kept up with her on Facebook, letting her have her space, thinking that she might miss their connection, waiting, hoping, and even praying for a sign of her affection.

 

Friends had said that he was being pathetic, and still sometimes did, but he couldn’t help it.  When he knew she was on the other end of the phone, the mere thought made his heart leap for joy.  When she needed him, he knew he would always come.  He still loved her.

 

Tom’s reminiscing was interrupted by the stewardess getting drinks for the passengers.  “Would you like anything?”  She looked at him expectantly, having just placed a miniature bottle of jack and a clear plastic cup of coke filled with ice on the tray of a nearby passenger.

 

“Coke, please,” he answered her, thinking that he would splurge a little during the flight instead of drinking diet.   The woman wrote it down and looked at the others beside him, but they appeared to be napping.

 

She emptied the remainder of the last coke and opened a new one.   Tom gingerly took the cup from her hand and raised it to his mouth, enjoying the burn in the back of his throat as he sipped on the mixture.  He downed most of it quickly, then felt moisture on his body.  He wondered if it was because of his mishap with the flight, or whether he was really nervous to see her again.

 

He went back to the gallery and found other pics.  He was smiling and she was nuzzled against him.  This was one of his favorites because it reminded him that they were happy once.   Not perfect by any means, but happy nonetheless!  

 

He’d loved her deeply, even doted on her, and tried to give her what she wanted.  Tom was a conflict avoider, but so was she, so they rarely got into fights.  If she was really upset, she would let him know she was unhappy, but usually her method of displaying annoyance was just being standoffish.  He really preferred that, because conflict made him nervous, and when he thought she was really upset with him, he had panic attacks. 

 

This backfired, he knew, because standoffishness turned to restlessness.  Often she would give him affection, touching him and giving him signs that she also wanted to be touched, but when she became bored or angry, he felt the cold shoulder. 

 

At its worst, Veronica’s passive behavior resulted in her not coming home.  If he’d wondered about his smothering her with a need for attention, he’d stopped wondering at that point.  She’d withdrawn for days without any kind of communication, and whereas most people would declare her missing, he’d known that it was about her being unhappy with him, and at that point he’d refused to chase after her, feeling humiliated.  Besides, he knew chasing would merely drive her away further.  He had to give her space.

 

When she came home, he was more angry than any time in memory, and for once confronted her about her behavior,  She’d looked at him with eyes that said, “Do I look like I give a s**t?” and proceeded to act as if her absence was not a big deal.   He’d pleaded with her that their relationship was unfair, but she gave him very little response, other than nuzzling up to him, which always disarmed him.

 

Tom had known at that moment that he was beaten.  She had the control in their relationship, but he was hopelessly devoted to her, a slave. 

 

For most of the flight, he dwelt in regrets about the past, but forced those out of his mind as the plane landed.  Scrolling again through the pics, he flashed a pic to the woman beside him, sitting by a girl to her right. 

“I’m going to see my Veronica!!”  The woman looked at the pic, furrowed her brown in puzzlement, but then smiled at him politely and remarked, “She’s precious!”  Tom beamed back, and the passengers began to leave.

 

He waited at baggage claim for a few minutes, then headed to the front of the airport, his heart picking up speed once again.  Outside he saw the red SUV and opened the door to a petite woman with blonde hair smiling at him warmly.

 

“Hi!  How was your flight?” she asked. 

 

“Fine!  Fine!  Couldn’t wait to get here!”  he answered. 

 

“Well, you’re a life-saver!  I fly out this afternoon, and I couldn’t leave her for a whole week!”  He could tell she was grateful.

 

“Not a problem!  I have family to visit anyway,” he lied. “I’ll take good care of her.  Do you mind if I see her for a moment?”

 

The woman smiled afresh. “Knock yourself out!”  Her eyes motioned to the back seat, where Tom noticed a suitcase on one side of the car and cage adjacent. 

 

He opened the back door, sat by the cage and opened it, reaching for the cat.  She stared at him as he held her up to him, then nuzzled her face against his.  He felt a purr and his heart leapt.

 

“I think she’s missed ya!”

Reviews

[Ian Reeve]

Ha Ha! Loved the surprise ending! Great story!

[Patrick Ramsey]

Thanks ian! Glad you liked it.