I didn't know her, yet I knew she was the person I would die beside.
The bus stop was empty except for she and I. The sky was cloudy, the air thick, but neither of us seemed to mind. I'm not sure what she was thinking then, but at that moment the only thing on my mind was whether my boss would graciously grant me a break at work that day. The last couple of weeks the boss had denied me a break and if there wasn't one this time I was determined to confront him about it. How could someone efficiently complete an eight to ten hour shift without a break? Was that even legal?
There was only one bench at the stop and a small one at that, so both us, two strangers, were forced to intrude on each other's personal space. Funny how, if what happened next had never happened, we may not have ever spoke a word to each other that day.
A sound that I could only imagine as being similar to cannon fire or a missile forcefully resonated around us. Then, a mushroom plume of ash towered far in the distance above the building skyline. The earth vibrated beneath our feet and waves of force rammed through our bodies.
The woman, with a terrified look plastered on her face, turned her gaze to me. "What is happening? What is this?"
Another mushroom cloud formed over the horizon and then another. I was afraid. Horrified. Was this really happening?
Tears were escaping my eyes when I stared back at her. "We're going to die."
"What?" Not to my surprise, tears were gliding down her cheeks, too.
"They're bombing us. We are going to die." The reality of it was finally sinking in for me. There was nowhere to hide and no way to run. The buildings around us couldn't withstand the blast. The roads were in such disarray with the traffic already.
She glanced away, I suppose coming to the realization as well, but then she turned to face me again. "Hold me, please."
She was scared, I was scared. Even so, I wasn't sure if being held by a stranger would mitigate the fear in either of us. Even so, I held her.
Before I thought of what I was saying, I spoke.
"has your life been a good one?"
She nodded, rubbing her head against my chest. "Never found love, but I'm thankful for my family...I'm so glad they aren't here right now." She hugged me tighter and started to sob so that I almost didn't hear the next few words. "Has yours been?"
How has my life been? I wasn't sure how to respond. The only family I had was my mother, however she cared for me to the day she passed. I've always had friends to fend off loneliness, but I've never been close to anyone in particular. I've always had financial stability, but I'm far from being rich.
"My life was... okay. Normal, I suppose. Now that I think about it, nothing important happened."
Her voice was soft and calming, even if the words were lies. "I'm sure that's not the case. You're," she paused for a moment before finishing," a handsome man. Not to mention you have a suit. Bet the paycheck is nice."
Another ash cloud expanded overhead, closer this time. The ground shook once more. I sucked my breath in, but it did little to soothe my nerves.
Suddenly, she blurted out a question. "Do you have any regrets?"
For some reason, the answer popped into my head quicker than expected. "I regret not finding someone to share my life with. You know, someone to travel with, care for, and hold close. I never had that."
For a second she smiled so brightly I almost forgot how close death was. "You have me to hold."
The sound of an engine's repetitive roaring thrummed far above.
"Do you regret anything, miss?"
"I regret not meeting you sooner."
A flash, brighter than the reflection of the sun on glass, blinded me. The last thing I felt was the heat of her warm embrace.