It is true what they say… if you love someone let them go and if they return it is meant to be. The well known saying played like a one verse theme over and over in her head as she gathered her things, placing them neatly in the suitcase she had laid out in the bed.

There was no hurry, she wasn’t afraid of him. He would never hurt her, or maybe he just didn’t care enough to do so. If she was honest with herself the leaving had been done months ago and all that was left to do was put physical distance between them.

Loving him had never been easy but she had done so with all her heart. Her loyalty extended beyond what everyone who knew her thought reasonable, her forgiveness given far too easily. It had been easy to forgive him when he interspersed the good with the bad, that she could handle. But the indifference he showed her now was insurmountable.

It was true she would never regret him and always miss the laughter they shared and all of their deep talks that had kept them up into the wee hours.

He still told her he cared. He didn’t want her to go. He wanted her to be patient, to wait until he came back to her. That was just too much. She had to go while she could still say she loved him.

Saying goodbye was always harder when the one who had once been your whole world turns into the person you now despise. Regret rumbles through her heart as she snaps the suitcase shut and moves toward the front door. It seemed to take forever to get to the door because she had to take it in. The site of their love and forgiveness. A house, but no longer home.

Tears welled in her eyes and she crossed the threshold and closed the door. She pressed a kiss to her fingers before she ran her hand over the cool painted exit.

“Goodbye, my love,” she whispered and then turned and walked away. Pain engulfing her, black emptiness washed over her. A part of her wanted to turn back but she couldn’t. If she stayed now, she may never find the courage to go.