Laura made the decision to go to her parents’ former Miami condominium a few years after her husband passed away. However, she had only been there for a month when Nathan, her first love, showed up at her house. There was uncertainty about their relationship until he just vanished. She was finally going to find out the startling explanation.
Laura, 78, made the decision to go to her parents’ former Miami condominium a month ago. Long ago, when they retired, they purchased it, and when they passed away, she inherited it. However, Laura spent her whole life in Durham, North Carolina, and her family spent many years there as a vacation destination.
After her husband, Charles, passed away six years ago, she considered moving, but she decided against it. Laura did not want to leave them because her daughter Melissa had just given birth to her first child. But she kept thinking about the flat.
Laura made her an offer when Melissa announced her second pregnancy. The older woman didn’t want them to take out loans to find a bigger house, so she gave them the house of her family. For one, it was big enough just in case they decided to keep on expanding their family, and two, the school district is excellent.
She readily accepted because she had tons of fond memories of her childhood. “Well, then, aren’t you sure you don’t want to live with us?” Laura told her she would be moving to Miami, so Melissa suggested: ‘This house has more than enough room for everyone.’
“Yes, darling. I need my space and you guys need your space. And that apartment has been empty for ages, it’s perfect for older folks. I also miss the beach like it hasn’t even existed. Laura nodded her head, and patted Melissa’s shoulder, and replied, ‘A warm beach, I mean.’
It was hard moving your life there but they loved Miami. Melissa and her family would no be paying for rent, a mortgage anymore, because her old house was paid for.
Every morning Laura would sit down on her balcony furniture and bask in a morning sun that covered her skin. Doctors tell you too much sunlight damages your skin, but being out there in the sun is like some sort of cure for your soul. The decision couldn’t have come at a better time for her, she couldn’t have been happier.
One day, she was making a nice sandwich with chips to eat for lunch when her doorbell rang. She removed her apron and went to answer it, thinking it might be her next-door neighbor who loved to gossip with her. But it wasn’t Mrs. Cardigan.
When Laura saw the man standing directly outside her door, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. It was her first love, Nathan. He was the love of her life, if she was being honest with herself. Laura loved her husband very much, but throughout the years, she sighed at the thought of him. She was permanently marked by Nathan.
Their love felt like something you read about in books, even though they were both in their 20s and most people would not believe it. It was intense. It was hot. It was legendary stuff. The fact that it was volatile was a drawback. It is poisonous, according to some. Laura, however, was in love.
Their other issue was Nathan’s mysterious nature. She knew practically nothing about his life or family, but she didn’t care, even when he often disappeared for days, weeks, and even months. That was harder to take. He dodged her questions whenever Laura brought up the subject, so she eventually stopped.
One day, Nathan left her old apartment with a smile on his face, and it was the last time she saw him. She waited for him to return and had no way to contact him. After a year of hoping, Laura decided to move on with her life. She met Charles, got married, and Nathan became a memory.
But he was there. As though no time had gone, I was on her doorstep. She gaped at him like a fish caught in a net, a million questions racing through her mind. In Miami, how did he find me? Why is he in this place? Does he really believe he can just show up out of nowhere since we are only 20? What is it that he desires?
The silence was finally broken by Nathan. “Hi, Laura. How are you?
“Hey? Nathan, it is been over 50 years. You are here, but why? How did you discover me? She asked angrily. She was shocked that after all this time, Nathan had the audacity to sound so careless.
“I know. I want to explain everything. But will you let me in?” he wondered and smiled his crazy smile, which still managed to make her heart skip a beat even now. His face had wrinkles, sunspots, and he couldn’t stand as straight as he once did. But he was still… Nathan. Just Nathan.
“Fine. Come in,” Laura finally answered in a huff, crossing her arms and leading him into her apartment.
“How have you been all these years?” he asked after sitting down.
“Nathan, I don’t have time for chit chat.” I want answers. Real answers this time. Back then you hadn’t forgotten about how I ignored you and changed the subject. Laura glared at her cross arms and planted herself in a chair facing Ward, and without warning he held his arms up, ‘You either start talking now or leave’.
“Ok… this is not easy. Back then, my parents didn’t want me dating anyone. They told me when I turned 20 that they had made this girl, the daughter of one of their richest friends, part of me. But I didn’t want it. I only pretended. I fell in love with you. I know they’d disapprove, but Nathan admitted with a massive sigh.
Laura’s mouth dropped open for the second time that day, and Nathan continued his story. “Whenever I disappeared, I was with her. Kiara. She liked to travel. She was so demanding. But I always returned to you.”
“Until the last time. I waited for a year, Nathan. I waited for you,” Laura hissed, getting emotional. She couldn’t believe Nathan had someone else. “And you were cheating on me the entire time.”
“I wasn’t! I swear I wasn’t! We didn’t have anything together romantic at all what so ever. I didn’t even hold her hand. I knew I didn’t want the arranged marriage and Kiara took my attention and my time. Nathan was frustrated because if I didn’t comply, she might have told my parents about you, and it would’ve been bad for you.
Laura thought about his words. But he sounded real, and she didn’t want to believe him. She was quiet and asked, ‘Ok… so why didn’t you return for such a long time?’
“It was a busy year. I was getting my degree. Kiara began organizing our wedding while my father secured me a significant internship. Everything was extremely intricate. I was unable to see you. However, things got even more complicated after Kiara passed away in a vehicle accident. However, I gave it some time. He looked down as though he could not hold his head up after disclosing everything. “I went back to you as soon as I could after helping her parents since they assumed I was her fiancé,” he concluded.
“Oh, wow. I’m sorry. I mean, I wouldn’t wish harm on anyone,” Laura commented but remembered something he said. “What do you mean ‘returned?’ When did you return?”
“One day, I went to your house, and I saw another man there with you. I didn’t know what he meant to you, but I knew I couldn’t show up and ruin it after all that time. I went to your house every day for a month, and he was always there, so I stopped going. I heard you two got married at some point,” Nathan explained.
“Yeah, that was my late husband, Charles.”
“My condolences.”
“What happens now?” Laura asked, raising her eyebrows in question.
“I don’t know. I hoped to explain everything to you, and maybe we could start a friendship,” Nathan suggested.
“How did you find me all the way here?”
“I was in my 30s when I moved down here. Since then, I have been here. I never have any relatives. I could not fall for anybody else after losing you. I was also troubled by Kiara’s death. It was difficult. However, I saw your folks strolling around about 20 years ago. I wanted to see you someday and found out where they lived. I kept waiting after they passed away since I saw that you had not sold the place,” Nathan added.
Laura found those words unbelievable. Nathan never married and had no kids. And for over two decades, he had been waiting for her to arrive here. To deflect the heated conversation, she said, “Nathan, would you like a sandwich?”
Nathan soon began visiting on a daily basis. They were just buddies at start. They talked about anything and everything. But eventually, they were unable to suppress their emotions any longer. Their love never faded, regardless of the passage of time. It resembled a candle that could burn brightly with just a little relit.
What can we learn from this story?
Your first love can really change your life. The first time you fall in love, you are getting a crash course in life. However it can also leave you with harsh memories that you can’t forget.
Secrets can destroy everything. Nathan didn’t say everything that was going on with him. He was lying to everybody in his life and when he ended up lying to Laura, he broke up with her.