Her finger pads slowly ran across the worn grain of the bench, each stroke of the rough bruised wood bringing back a plethora of memories pulling her farther into the sea away from the cold autumn winds of reality. Closing her eyes she let herself be submerged events long past, images began flashing inside her mind, each more vivid than the next. There first date ending on this bench when it was paint was bright and full and the sky was full of the stars their young hearts wished upon. Then the first kiss a display of awkward passion and affection, as there bodies exchanged heat, and heart. After came a meddling of laughs, one sweet and melodious, the other deep and haunting both reflecting the joy of two newlyweds in love as the hold hands snuggling close as they watch the snow lightly fall. Then came the screams of little child, and the barks of dogs and cautious mother chiding at the rough play on the slippery grass. Faster, and faster each image flashed inside her mind, playing a cinematic picture of their life together in fast forward. Abruptly opening her eyes she looked around, it was darker the eerie sun was setting turning the sky into a wistful jumble of oranges, and purples with small hints of blue. Drawing her coat closer she slowly stood up, and stretches her delicate fingers towards the setting sky. Then with a lurch she began walking forward placing her hand in her worn tired pocket she played with the small golden band on her finger, and occasionally looking back at the bench that was growing smaller and smaller with each pensive step she took . Hastily stopping, she jerkily turned sprinting back to the worn bench she dropped to her knees in front of it, gripping it as silent tears rolled down her cheeks touching the corners of her melancholy smile.” Why,” she cried it in a voice so soft the words were almost whisked into silence by the wind. ” Why, did you break our promise?,” she begged her whist voice shaking hiding silently in its depth an abundance of emotions from the most vocal, fear, to the subtle joy as she laid her head down on the bench and closed her eyes once more to bask in the memories of them.