Abigail casually gazed up at the cloudy skies as the wind ran through her long brown curls and whistled through the trees. The grass blanketing the rolling hills was soft, green, and cool. The sun peaked through the white, puffy clouds as if playing peek-a-boo with the Earth.
Missing someone was difficult, even in such a serene and perfect place. The countryside was gorgeous, but it did little to ease the pain. Missing someone that you love is a unique pain, a pain like no other. You feel a tug at your heart, but nothing can be even attempted to change the current situation.
A puppy, a flower, and a heart could all be found in the clouds as Abigail imagined being a little girl again. Many times her imagination failed her with her demanding schedule, so times when she could just lie back and let her imagination out of its cage were precious. As the time passed, the puppy seemed to be taken with its friend, the wind, and turn into more of a fish-shaped cloud. The flower was pushed into another puff of cloud, while the heart remained relatively the same.
Abigail sat up and stared longingly and wistfully at the heart. It had remained unchanged regardless of how the wind had recently pushed it. The heart in the sky was like hers. The love that she felt was real, and what others said could not change that. Wherever she had to go, or in this case stay, her heart would remain the same. There was something special about what she felt, and the pain came with that priceless feeling.
Her best friend and the one that she loved, Elijah, was at college miles away. She was going to college locally, so the two had been separated for nearly a year. Elijah and his family had gone on vacation for Christmas far away as well, so their only chance to see each other that year had been ruthlessly ripped from their hands and hearts. Their long distance relationship was the hardest and most trying task she had ever tried to accomplish. So far, it had gone as well as a long distance relationship could, but it did not come close to the relationship that they both strove to achieve.
She was off for the summer and had only one more grueling week to endure. Having nothing to keep herself busy would normally be a great luxury. Without having Elijah there to accompany her, it was suddenly a challenge to make it through the week. The heart slowly did have to merge with another mass of clouds, but its endurance truly represented Abigail’s endurance to make it through the week.
The bright line that edged the clouds like a luminescent lace fascinated Abigail. The clouds had blocked the Sun the best they could, and yet the Sun persevered through their defense and would shine in a blue sky yet again. Everything around her seemed to represent her love with Elijah in one form or another. The budding flowers were the new chapter in their romance that would begin in less than a week. The birds chirping cheerfully were their laughs from a year ago and new conversations to come. The wind that ran freely through her hair and the trees was their carefree spirit, floating wherever it pleased and doing whatever it pleased with no rhyme or reason.
The Sun and the clouds were the best representation in nature, though. The Sun was their relationship, and the clouds were all of the roadblocks they had faced. Life had thrown reality in their face and separated them for a year, and yet they were closer than ever. In a way, as the Sun shone everywhere, so did their relationship. If Elijah was in her thoughts, prayers, and heart, then in a way he was already there with her.
That thought was what had helped Abigail get through the year, but with only a week left the novelty was wearing off. She longed for him to actually be there, to hug her and be by her side. His embrace was a secure kingdom, and the way that he ran his hand through her hair made her feel like the princess that had found her prince.
She continued to gaze at the clouds. What looked like a tree was now forming, and what looked like a small guitar was also being formed by the masterful wind. No, it was not a small guitar. It was a ukulele. Abigail smiled to herself as her hair and flowery sundress were slightly rearranged in the wind. Elijah was a skilled musician, though it was just a hobby. He could play the guitar, the piano, and the trumpet. His favorite, however, was the ukulele. He said that it made a fun, light sound and was extremely easy to carry.
Abigail could not take her eyes off the ukulele. She concentrated in it. Its dark interior and brilliant edges were captivating. After a few moments, she almost heard it begin to play. As she concentrated more, she heard it slowly get louder. She did not want to take her eyes off it and chance losing the moment. When she heard quiet footsteps crunching the grass behind her, she realized that it was not her imagination.
Abigail whirled around and was on her feet in a one swift motion. There was her Elijah. He was walking towards her, playing his ukulele. She smiled, her hair and sundress flowing in the wind. He approached and smiled at her.
“Do I get a hug for getting off early?” he teased, and she jumped into his arms. His warm embrace had not changed, and she had missed it so much. Her kingdom, her best friend, her Elijah had returned to her.
“I missed you so much,” she said and kissed him.
They held the kiss for a few sweet moments and then settled in on the grass. They lied back against each other and both gazed up at the sky as if nothing had changed. She rested her head against his shoulder and held his hand in hers. They talked quietly, not wanting to disturb the nature around them. The moment was priceless. The two stayed in the same position for hours, talking and laughing.
As the night grew closer and the Sun’s vibrant lining began to fade, Elijah sat up. He picked up his ukulele and smiled down at her. “I have so many songs I wrote just for you over the year.”
She smiled up at him and rolled onto her side. “Play me a song now.” As Elijah played her the song, Abigail sighed happily. She would always remember that moment with her Elijah, his ukulele, and her song.