Someone important…

You swallow painfully. ‘Yeah. I did. Nearly a year ago, now. I couldn’t save her, either.’

Emma waits quietly, resting a small hand on your shoulder. It’s a moment before you’re able to get the words out.

‘My ex… the girl I knew before you. We’d been together, on and off, nearly six years. Met in high school.’ You take a long breath. ‘Started off great, you know, teenage sweethearts, all the rest of it. Head over heels, first real love. I thought she was the one. She probably could have been.’

Emma’s voice is barely a whisper. ‘What happened?’

‘She died.’ Your throat threatens to seize up, and you swallow painfully. ‘Overdose. We weren’t together by that point. Do you mind if we…’ You clench your jaw, hard, willing yourself not to cry. ‘Do you mind if we don’t get into the details right now?’

Emma’s eyes are full of sympathy and concern. ‘Of course,’ she says quietly, resting her hand on top of yours. Her thumb caresses the old scars on top of your knuckles. ‘Whenever you want to talk, though… I’m here.’

You squeeze her hand back. ‘Thank you. Sorry. I will tell you, it’s just…’

Emma shakes her head wordlessly. ‘No apology needed. You’ll tell me when you’re ready. That’s all.’

You sit together for a moment, listening to the birds call softly overhead.

‘You’re right,’ Emma says eventually, her voice quiet and steady. ‘People do leave their mark on you… you don’t forget the ones you love. And I did love him, once – but it was a different kind of love, I think. It wasn’t like what I have with you. With him…’ Emma’s eyes go cloudy for a moment. ‘With him, it was like I couldn’t bring myself to leave, no matter what he did. With you… I don’t want to.’

You smile, a little embarrassed, but pleased at the same time. ‘I don’t want to leave you, either.’

Emma laughs under her breath. ‘Well, good. Glad we sorted that out. But, no, seriously…’ She leans into your shoulder, and you can feel the warmth of her body through your shirt. ‘I didn’t know it could be like this. I keep thinking you’re going to stop, suddenly, that you’re going to get bored. Like you’re going to wake up one morning, and realise how amazing you are, and just… leave.’

You blink. ‘For such a smart girl, Emma, sometimes you say literally the stupidest things.’

That gets you an elbow in the side, and you wince involuntarily. ‘Oh – shit, I’m so sorry –’ Emma’s cheeks screw up, and she rubs your arm guiltily. ‘Sorry! I keep forgetting that’s your bad side…’

‘It’s okay,’ you reassure her, even though little spikes of pain are still shooting up from the scar along your abdomen. ‘Barely even notice it any more. Doctors did a hell of a job.’

Emma doesn’t look entirely convinced. ‘Sorry,’ she repeats, settling carefully back into your shoulder. ‘Although you did say I was stupid, so…’

‘I didn’t say you were stupid,’ you protest. ‘I said what you were saying was stupid. Which it was.’ Emma makes a muffled noise of disagreement, but you ignore her. ‘If anyone should be paranoid about this thing ending, it’s me.’

Emma’s hand finds yours again, and her fingers slip between yours. ‘We are not having this conversation again.’

‘Too fucking right,’ you grunt, enjoying the sensation of your palms gliding together. ‘And you started it this time, so I’m finishing it.’

There’s a contented pause, while you both stare out across the beautiful, rainbow hues of the botanical gardens.