Fainting Spells

“…She struggled against the lightheaded feeling he gave her, forcing herself to plant her feet firmly into the dusty path and conjure a weak smile.  Tears waited impatiently to release, but she refused to allow him to see her weakness any longer.

“I’ll see you around,” she offered clumsily, wiping her hair from her forehead.  “You’ll be at the cafe tomorrow?”

He nodded, “In the morning.  I leave in the afternoon to take care of some things at work.  I’ll be back for the weekend.”

She wondered why he wouldn’t stay in Madrid to visit friends for the festival, and then realized his brother would need him back here to help with all the extra tourists that would be in the city.  She had hoped, for a split second, that he was coming back for her, but she quickly banished the thought from her mind.

He turned to leave, and she grabbed his hand without thinking, gently pulsing twice in an unspoken 'thank you.'  She he felt him turn back to her, as his hand returned her grip.  His eyes met hers in a combination of surprise, acknowledgement and empathy.  He could barely fight the temptation to gather her in his arms and make her understand the lengths he was prepared to go to, the distance he would cover and the hurdles he would overcome if she would just trust him with whatever it was that kept her silent…