Skyline Drive

Skyline Drive

I love driving along with you. I’ll never forget the day, after we graduated, that you turned up on my doorstep, with the keys to a silver convertible.

You asked me to come away with you. And I did.

It feels like it was only yesterday that happened- it was over ten years ago, my love.

We ran away together. Our world had crumbled underneath us and we had emerged as the only survivors. We drove around the country for months on end, trying to put the past behind us. And for the most part we did. The pain of the war dulled with each day and when we finally returned to life, to reality, we were stronger for it.

When we go driving I feel like I’m leaving everything behind. Driving with you symbolises that. Sometimes, as we drive along, I sit back with my eyes closed tightly. I love letting the wind blow over me, the soft sounds of the radio, your crystal clear voice talking to me. And when I open my eyes, we’re usually miles away from where we started. A new place.

I’ll never forget the day you drove away from me, the day we arrived home after so long away. I knew you would. Getting away had healed us as much as it could, but you needed time alone to heal your inner demons.

And the only thing I could contribute was a soft kiss and a promise that when you returned, I would be waiting.

I waited a year for you, my love. I watched the leaves fall in Autumn, the snow fall in the Winter, the flowers grow in the Spring- you returned to me in the summer. You had the top rolled down, your sunglasses on and you just smiled to me as I came bounding down the steps of my house towards you.

I needed no invitation- I jumped straight into the car beside you and we went for a drive. The sun set as we drove along- the sky turned magnificent colours that afternoon. I have never seen a sunset like it since and I doubt I ever will. It was magic- magic in its most pure and simple form. Like us. Harry and Hermione. Hermione and Harry. It all fits.

You asked me to marry you when we were driving. We drove to the sea that day- you said it had been years since you’d seen the sea, so we went to the sea. You stopped the car next to the beach and we walked the length of it- and back again. We watched the sun set over the sea. And when we got back to the car, you asked me to hold you forever.

We slept in the car that night- do you remember, my love? Under the stars, in each others arms, never wanting to let go. Five years have passed since that day. It’s incredible to think of how time passes.

I remember when I told you I was pregnant- the first thing you thought to fit was a seat in the car for the baby- you didn’t want to leave the baby behind when we went driving. Taylor loves it when her daddy takes her for a drive- I watched her as you took her out the other day. Sitting up proudly in the front seat, her eyes closed tight, letting the wind blow over her.

It made me realise why you say she’s so much like me.

We’ve come a long way since that first drive, my love. The car is still the same and in a way, so are we. We are the same people, in adults bodies. We have our daughter. And soon we will have another child- though you do not yet know it. I think I might ask you if we can go for a drive- we can go down to the river and I can tell you there. We can leave Taylor with my parents and sleep under the stars again. We can watch the skyline fade into darkness as we drive along, me with my eyes closed tight, letting the wind blow over me.

Authors Notes: Inspired by listening to ‘Skyline Drive’ by Mae over and over again. I probably haven’t made much sense at all- it just flowed from me so quickly. I hope you liked it in some way :)