Forgiving Love

​The waves crashed softly against the shore, their rhythmic hum filling the silence as Jack walked along the familiar pier. The night air was crisp, carrying the scent of the ocean and the distant laughter of people enjoying the last moments of summer. But Jack barely noticed any of it. His hands were deep in his pockets, his head bowed slightly, lost in thought.

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This place used to mean something different. It was where they had walked together, hand in hand, sharing dreams whispered between soft laughter and passionate kisses. Where they had promised each other forever. But forever had been cut short—not by fate, not by tragedy, but by mistakes, by words spoken unwisely or in anger, by wounds too deep to heal. Or so he had believed.

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The pier lights cast golden reflections onto the water, shimmering like memories just out of reach. He stopped at the very edge, staring out into the horizon where the sea met the sky. It had been years since he had last been here, yet it felt like only yesterday that he had walked away from her, thinking he was making the right choice.

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Thinking he was saving them both from more pain.

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But time had a cruel way of making a person see the truth.

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Jack sighed, pulling out his phone, staring at the blank screen. He had wanted to call her so many times, wanted to hear her voice, to apologize. But what good was an apology now? He had seen the pictures, the ones where she was smiling, where she looked happy. She had moved on. Maybe it was time he did, too.

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But why did it feel so impossible?

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"Jack?"

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The voice was soft, hesitant, but unmistakable.

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His breath caught as he turned, his heart pounding as if he had been thrown backward in time. And there she was.

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Claire.

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She stood a few feet away, the same auburn hair catching the wind, the same deep brown eyes watching him with uncertainty. But there was something different, something in the way she held herself—stronger, more sure of who she was. Time had changed them both, but she was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

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"Claire." Her name felt foreign on his lips, yet so achingly familiar.

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"I didn't expect to see you here." Her voice was cautious, yet there was something in her tone—something that told him she had thought of this moment, too.

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"Neither did I," he admitted. "I just...I needed to come back."

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A small, knowing smile tugged at her lips. "Me too."

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They stood there for a moment, the ocean filling the silence between them. He wanted to say something, anything, but he didn’t know where to start. There was too much to say, too much to explain. And maybe it didn’t matter anymore.

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"Are you doing well? Are you happy?" He asked finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

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Claire looked at him for a long moment before answering. "I am." But then, almost hesitantly, she added, "But that doesn’t mean I don’t think about the past. About us."

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His throat tightened. "I think about it too. Every day."

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She nodded, her eyes drifting toward the water. "It wasn't all bad, was it?"

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Jack let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. "No. It was the best thing I ever had. And I threw it away."

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Claire’s gaze returned to him, and for the first time in years, he saw the raw honesty between them. "You hurt me, Jack."

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"I know," he said, his voice thick with regret. "I was scared. I was stupid. And I convinced myself that letting you go was the right thing. But it wasn't. It was the worst mistake of my life."

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A silence settled between them, heavy yet full of unspoken words.

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Finally, Claire took a step closer. "Do you remember what I told you before you left?"

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Jack swallowed hard. "That love—real love—is forgiving."

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She nodded. "And I meant it."

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His breath hitched as her hand brushed against his. It was a simple, brief touch, but it carried the weight of everything they had been, everything they had lost. "Claire..."

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"I'm not saying we can go back," she interrupted softly. "But maybe, just maybe, we can find our way forward."

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Hope flickered inside him, cautious yet undeniable. "Do you think there's still a chance?"

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She smiled, and for the first time in years, Jack felt like he could breathe again. "I think there's always a chance for a true and forgiving love."

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As the waves whispered against the shore, Jack knew this moment—this chance—was the one he had been waiting for. And this time, he wasn’t going to let it slip away.

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-Mark Gammill

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Forgiving Love

 

Walking down along this familiar shore

I wonder where you are

looking hard into the darkness

far beyond the shining stars

I wish you here beside me

walking late along the pier

there will always be this space

an empty place without you near.

 

Having come so far

having the need to find this place again

missing all the certain love

of a best and dearest friend

pier lights glow along the waves

a deep and restless sea

reminding of a past

that was never meant to be.

 

I hope you find your peace

and all you were dreaming of

never forget the beauty

of such a pure and forgiving love.

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​-Mark Gammill