“Usually, I’m good about these things,” Oliver said as he gazed into Layla’s eyes, “but you’re different from anyone I’ve ever known.”
It was a battle from the start, he recalled. They had met only a short while ago and, somehow, Layla went from being a stranger to his very dear friend. In mere weeks Oliver felt more connected to her than anyone he’d come in contact with in quite a while. That’s where the battle began. Where things didn’t make sense, Oliver sought answers. Where things seemed too good to be true, he doubted. Oliver had never been naïve before and he wasn’t going to start now.
Oliver tried with all his might to fight it, that tugging in his gut that pointed his heart to Layla at every free moment of the day. When he experienced joy, he wanted to share it with her. When he was sad, he found comfort in her voice. He enjoyed her company on long walks through the park and he didn’t get mad when she’d fall asleep on his shoulder, snoring loudly during his favorite movie. She was a dear, dear friend and Oliver wanted so badly to cherish their friendship, to keep it safe from the elements of the outside world.
That’s why Oliver was stunned when Layla said that it was over. He was puzzled and overwhelmed and all he could foster up the courage to utter was, “Ok.” But it was not okay. He was not okay. And now, two weeks later, his pride wouldn’t allow him to beg for her friendship, or even scream at her for breaking his heart. So, Oliver stood. He looked into her eyes and searched for a way to let her know that she was everything he had ever dreamed.
She rambled about plans and the past and fear. She said she still wanted to be Oliver’s friend. She didn’t see why he was acting so distant. Weren’t they friends? Hadn’t they built something bigger than this?
He couldn’t take it anymore. Oliver took a deep breath, grabbed her hand and placed it firmly on his chest.
Layla wept.
“Magic,” Kelli whispered as she spun on her toes. I met Kelli during my first year of law school. She admittedly decided on professional school because she didn’t fall in love as an undergrad. Though learning the law intrigued her, finding her husband was priority. One year later she was madly in love… And, when I asked her how it felt to be engaged, she rambled on and on and on about “magic.”
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I’m experiencing magic right now… or at least I think I am. It’s funny though, because I tend to love cities. There was Freeport, Pittsburgh, London, Harlem and, of course, Sweet Brooklyn. But this time the object of my affection is…well, an object. Lol.
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It was a cold night in November when I first wandered onto the Brooklyn Bridge. As I lingered on the long wooden boards and looked up at the sturdy metal rods keeping his structure in place, I was comforted by the familiarity of his story – his rich history, his heartbreaks, battles and betrayals, his savvy suburban know-how and his unique view of the intricacies of city living. I began to see me in him…
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Now, nearly three months later, I’m convinced it’s magic.
Perhaps it’s the accumulation of lazy Sunday evenings after long hours of studying. In those moments of nothingness, simple walks across the Brooklyn Bridge have made my heart smile. You see, the Brooklyn Bridge is the intersection between my past, present and future. He’s such an honest mirror to my own imperfections that I’m not running into his arms blindly. I’m walking, slowly and cautiously. I know the reasons he is special to me are also the reasons why I need to be extremely careful. He’s a true reflection of all the good and some of the most ugly parts of me. He’s my right now.
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I’m in the midst of magic, standing on the Brooklyn Bridge. Frustrated by the stillness, but hanging on for dear life. I’m excited to know that the Brooklyn Bridge will continue to teach me... even though he may break my little heart. I know it’s magic because, like Kelli, every now and then I want to spin on my toes and whisper: “Maaaagic...”
Hello, Brooklyn… Bridge. :-)
