Short Story — Coffee
Jim always enjoyed the walk to his local coffee shop, even today, with the skies a darker crimson than usual on his eyes.
At least he would get to see her one final time.
The end times, they called it; the day of departure. And if he made it on time, their get-together would last precisely ten minutes.
***
“You’re late,” Lilith called to Jim who was drawing closer to her from across the empty street. “Always late.”
“The foot traffic today was out of control,” he shrugged. “You should have seen it.”
Lilith frowned mockingly, accepting his prideful apology masked by a sense of humour she came to love.
“Luckily I’ve already ordered your coffee.”
“Cream?”
“I would be a terrible wife if I didn’t remember.”
“Oh, you’re my wife now?” Jim smiled curiously, peering up at her as he took his seat.
“Might as well be,” she retaliated confidently, “I can’t seem to rid myself of you, so I thought I might as well make it official with this being our last day here and all that.”
The words rang through his ears. The last day.
The idea thereof was still not entirely something he could as easily come to terms with. Lilith on the other hand was always more accepting of their role among the stars.
“Wife,” he replied after some internalizing, grinning as he watched the blissfully ignorant people passing by their sidewalk table. His gaze returned and met her soft, grey-blue eyes. “I like the sound of that.”
Her elation seemed to stretch to her ears as the words left his unwavering lips.
“Your drinks, Mam.” the pale, freckled waiter spoke up, carefully moving the hot cups from the tray onto the table. “Will you be eating here?”
“There won’t be time for that, I’m afraid.” Lilith replied quickly. “But thanks, love.”
The waitress merely nodded with a smile and went to tend another table.
“Don’t you think it’s sad?” Jim asked, his attention drawn again to the passing people.
Lilith let the question linger, stirring the sachet of sugar into her cup.
“You won’t miss me that much, will you?” Lilith chuckled.
“You know what I mean,” Jim replied softly. “All these people… their stories, their dreams, their…”
“Five times we’ve done this and five times you’ve asked me the same question.” Lilith smiled sympathetically before reaching for Jim’s hand, squeezing it in reassurance.
He turned toward her and met her eyes.
“I still don’t… I just don’t understand why?”
“We don’t need to understand. It’s simply the way it is. The circle of life, as they so lovingly like to put it.” she replied, looking at the waitress and the rest of the clientele with a sympathetic judgement. “It’s all just part of the circle of life.”
“Until they see death first-hand, then the circle of life becomes more of a trap to everyone than anything else.”
“Good thing we’re not everyone then, isn’t it?” Lilith teased, bringing her cup up to her mouth with clasping hands, sipping the warm beverage cautiously. “Hopefully we find each other sooner this time.”
“I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for you on Earth six-point-O,” Jim chuckled, bobbing his head from side to side with each syllable.
“Who knows, maybe you manage to propose to me properly then. The possibilities… are… endless.” Lilith replied, bobbing her head in the same manner as a jest.
“Maybe,” Jim chuckled, “or maybe…” He paused, widening his eyes to round off his faux-serious expression. “I’ll wait another five thousand years.”
“Jim, I swear to God I will marry Bob if you do that to me.”
“Bob?” Jim laughed, “You would never. Actually,” he paused. “It does make sense come to think of it. I’ve always thought you had a thing for his hairy feet.”
They smiled at one another and chuckled as their eyes lingered in a way only lover’s gazes could; a beautiful moment amidst the approaching storm and for a second nothing else mattered.
“I love you, Lil.” Jim spoke up. “I really do.”
“And I love you, Jim.” She replied before her hands clasping her coffee brought it closer for another sip.
***
Their cups stood empty alongside an overly gracious tip as they crossed the still empty road, arms locked.
The last few moments were spent in silence and awe as always; staring up at the sky as it tore open further and further.
Something only they could see.
Every living soul would be none the wiser by the time it was over; by the time they had departed to their new home. Only a few of them would be introduced at first; the rest to follow slowly but surely as new loves were formed and new lives birthed back into their new world.
Jim and Lilith stared on as everything around them started to deconstruct, being pulled into the majestic crimson tear of the heavens in the form of whirling clouds of particles.
Soon enough there was nothing but the slowly deconstructing bodies of the two who was sent to oversee humanity for each and every iteration thereof. Holding tight to one another they stood over nothing but dust, sand, and white space. The guardians always passed on after everything else — they were the last two souls to leave the fifth iteration of Earth.
They would be reintroduced to the sixth iteration on opposite ends of the world for logistics purposes. They were only ever allowed to use the transportation systems the humans already had in place, and given that every iteration started in the stone age, it would take quite a while before they could cross the vast oceans of the new Earth to find one another. And they always found one another, regardless of the time it took.
Forever pulled apart simply to grow back together.
A beautiful tragedy.
As visages neared their temporary ends, Jim pulled a small black box from his pocket, opening it up and revealing a beautiful ring to Lilith.
“If we’re already husband and wife, I suppose this is an unnecessary formality?” Jim grinned sarcastically, kissing Lilith on the forehead. “But I’d hate to lose you to Bob and his hairy feet,” he chuckled. “So, what do you say? Will you marry me?”
Lilith tucked her head into his jacket and hugged him tightly. When she pulled away Jim could see the water welling up behind the eyes on a face glowing with joy.
She kissed him for the final three seconds before their departure, knowing that it would be hundreds of years before she found him again, but their lips — in those few seconds — felt connected for an eternity.
And the last words to ever be spoken over the barren wastes of Earth Five before all that remained was the sound of lowly winds, were:
Of course I will.
