The transition between winter and spring was Charlie’s favorite part of the year. It’s that moment when the cold air slowly starts to fade, the sun starts shining on your face, the smell of those fresh blooming flowers. Spring was getting closer and closer each day, as the cold, grey winter days were fading faster and faster. It was this transition of seasons that made Charlie love his job more and more each time, especially when he was filming on location. He has been lucky enough to travel to different places around the states, but his favorite has to be South America, that’s where he had the most fun and the best memories. His ultimate dream is to go back and film a documentary in South America and uncover some of the hidden gems that are there. Being a part of the television and film industry was one of those things where you need to know someone who knows someone who can get in contact with someone. Finding that one contact wasn’t easy, but Charlie used his charm and his quick wit to impress some people while he was working as a waiter for a fancy restaurant.
His current project is a comedy sprinkled with some romance elements. Because you can’t have a show where someone doesn’t fall in love at some point. The people always want some drama, even if it’s a comedy.
Story goes like this: Main character loses their job, gets dumped the same day, and then their lowlife brother moves in; MC decides to go out and get drunk, falls in love with the person of their dreams but doesn’t know it just yet. The story then builds from there.
Charlie felt some kind of connection to the story, but he needed to keep feelings out of it.
The director was very strict about that. “You can’t let your emotions get the best of you when you’re filming, Charlie.”
Charlie’s eyebrows furrowed and asked, “But why? Aren’t you supposed to feel something when you watch the scene? Isn’t that how you know the audience will believe it?”
The director looked at him with shallow eyes, and said, “You can’t have your emotions in the way or else you get too involved with everything, meanwhile you are just directing these people. Take it from me, Charlie, keep emotion out of it.”
On their way back to the studio to see what they had, Charlie ran into the studio’s “confidante,” as he called her. The director on this film, took mental health and taking care of yourself, so he made sure that the studio was able to provide a phycologist/therapist on the set available for both cast and crew. Charlie didn’t really like to call her a psychologist because he had always associated psychologists with insane people, or people who don’t know how to deal with things. She made sure to have contact with each person at least once just to get to know them and let them know that she is available for them when they each need. It was her job after all.
“How are you, Charlie?” she said. She glared at him like he was a lost puppy in the rain with the most non sympathetic voice.
“I’m fine, just another day at the office.” said Charlie. A bead of sweat came down Charlie’s forehead.
“Come see me in my office later on today.” she said demandingly.
Charlie huffed and rolled his eyes as he was walking towards her office. When he walked in, there was a smell of mothballs and cats mixed together. She didn’t even have cats. He had never really been in her office before, so as he was walking in his eyes roamed the room, drinking in all the different plaques on the wall, all saying she was a certified psychologist, from all these universities and fancy places. Charlie’s heart felt like it was ready to give out, his lungs started tightening, his palms were glistening. He started loosening his tie right as she walked in.
He took a deep breath in through his nose and silently let it out through his mouth.
The “confidante” squinted her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows together and asked, “What’s going on in Charles’ life? Huh? Tell me. I assure you everything is confidential between us.”
He hated being called “Charles.” He made it clear to the her that he would rather be called Charlie, but she was one of those that preferred to use proper names. He started explaining that not much was really going on. He had his dream job: working on a tv set. His life was going well. No complications. No drama. No nothing.
He paused. He had his mouth slightly open as if ready to speak. Charlie was about to talk about Dani; she was always on his mind, whether he liked it or not. At this moment, all he could think about was that day he’d seen her again for the first time after they graduated high school. It had seemed like the world went into slow motion, her hair strawberry blonde, eyes as blue as the Hawaiian ocean, and that smile, that smile lit up any room she walked into. He always loved that most about her. The memory that floods his brain next is the moment when she told him she was getting married.
His eyes were swimming in darkness, his lips were chapped, and he started to feel himself sweat. He cleared his throat as if that would help him figure his thoughts out.
“Everything alright, Charles?” the confidant asked him with a tilt of her head.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Just realized that there is somewhere I need to be.” Wanting to get out of there as quick as possible before the memory of the love of his life consumed him. Even though the excuse was vague, she had let him go, but not without telling him they weren’t done with this conversation. With a nod of his head and a quick goodbye, he rushed out of her office and out of the building straight for his car.
He felt a panic attack coming on and wanted no one to witness it. The second he got in his car, his mind started racing.
“Why did I have to go back to thinking about her. Fuck. Now I can’t stop. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.”
Charlie kept slightly hitting his head against the steering wheel to try to get that image of her out of his head. In that moment every song on the radio reminded him somehow of Dani. Charlie then closed his eyes and tried to breath to calm himself down, trying to convince himself that the breakup was for the best and that he needed to move on, since she seemingly had.
“She means nothing to you in that way anymore. You need to stop thinking about her. Just…stop. She’s getting married in a few weeks. She loves someone else. She’s in love with someone else. You will find someone else.”
As Charlie putt his car into drive, the radio was on low, but he could still hear a song being dedicated by some random person to their one true love. “Hopelessly Devoted to You” by Olivia Newton-John.
* * *
“We need a song,” Dani said with slightly furrowed brows, as she shuffled through her music collection. She loved the classics, like Fleetwood Mac, Prince, Queen, but also loved artists like Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, etc. But she also loved musicals, her favorite being Grease.
“Wha-What do you mean we need a song? For what?” Charlie asked with a chuckle in his voice.
“A song to represent how we feel, duh.” She responded with a smile. “I know we’ve friends since forever, but now that we’re actually dating, I think we should find something that reminds us of each other whenever we’re away.”
All Charlie could do was sit back and smile at her while she paced back and forth explaining he sudden comment and couldn’t help but fall more in love with her.
“I mean, whatever you pick I’m sure it’ll be great.”
“Noooo,” she whined. “WE need to pick it. Both of us. C’mon, it’ll be fun.”
“Fine, we will pick, together.” Charlie smiled as her pout turned into a smile.
They couldn’t seem to pick anything, so Dani came up with each of them writing a list of songs and if they had any of the same ones, that would be it.
“Okay ready?” she asked.
“Ready.”
As they were reading off song titles, it seemed as if they just couldn’t agree. Until they read their last titles.
“Okay, this is my last one, if this isn’t it, maybe the universe is telling us we don’t need a song,” Charlie said.
“Or that we’re not supposed to be together!” Dani said.
“Huh?!”
“I’m just kidding. Whatever. I have one more too. Want to read it out at the same time?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, three two, one…”
Simultaneously they said, “Hopelessly Devoted.”
Dani’s eyes lit up once she heard his answer, and she felt her heart get all warm and fuzzy and butterflies fly in her stomach.
“I love our song,” she said with such happiness shown all across her face.
“Me too.”
* * *
He didn’t think one song could have such an effect on him. He’d let his love slip through his fingers.
He finally got home and just threw his keys onto the table, not caring that they just slid across it and fell to the ground. The first thing he grabbed was a beer out of the fridge. Then looked down on the counter, and there is was. The wedding invitation. He honestly didn’t even care at that point anymore. It was like the invitation just tore down the wall that was keeping all these memories of their relationship at bay. It also opened up the wound of the breakup. One that he didn’t really want but had known it was what both of them needed. They were too immature, discovering who they were and all that. He closed his eyes as the last few moments of their time together come flooding back.
* * *
Dani was pacing back and forth, waiting for Charlie to come back from his shift from work. She was working on her getting her master’s degree in archeology, and her professor had an opportunity lined up for her. She wanted to say yes immediately but wanted to talk to Charlie first.
As he walked into his apartment, he saw that the light was on, telling him that Dani was there waiting for him. He’d met a Warner Brothers casting assistant while he was serving tables a few weeks before, and today he’d gotten a call from them.
“Hey, I didn’t think you’d still be up this late,” he said to her. It was 1 am.
She went to greet and hug him. “Honestly didn’t even notice it was that late, but I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”
He nodded and smiled, because he also wanted to tell her the good news he has.
“Yeah, actually I wanted to talk to you about something too.”
“Great, wanna go first?”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I want to hear your first.” She said with a smile.
“Okay, well remember that casting assistant I met a few weeks back? I got a call today with an internship spot. I start in a few days. I still have to wait tables for a bit, but I got my foot in the door.”
He had a glow about him, and Dani had a glossy look in her eyes.
“That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you! You’re going to kill it and be in the top spot in no time,” she said with a smile.
“Thank you. What’s your news?”
She pauses and tries to figure out how she wants to say what she’s about to say. “Oh, umm, well I was talking to my professor today, and they found a really cool opportunity for me to go and gets some hands-on experience out in the field.”
“That’s awesome, where is gonna be?”
She looks all over his face, except for his green eyes and settles on focusing on their intertwined hands. “South America.” She blurts out.
His smile slightly falls, trying not to show his sadness right away. He takes a deep breath in and lets out, “that’s amazing! I mean, all you talk about is how much there is to explore and discover in South America, I feel like it’s meant to be yours.”
She lets out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding in, and finally looks him in the eyes. “Yeah, it would mean everything if I could go. You’re not upset?”
“I mean, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I want you to succeed. You know that. Will I be sad because you’ll be off in South America living it up, of course, but I know we’ll find out way back somehow.”
He ends his statement with a sad smile, but Charlie knows they both want the other to succeed in life. So, Dani accepts the opportunity.
After a few weeks adjusting to being away from each other, they both started slip from each other’s lives. Charlie was off finding different locations to film, and going over he different scripts making sure that the director and producers had everything they needed for the day to ensure a smooth filming day, while Dani was out doing different excursions trying to find new sites and artifacts, Ultimately both of them felt the other wasn’t putting enough thought and time into the relationship, causing an argument, and they haven’t spoken since. But Dani was getting a break for the holiday coming up and decided to surprise Charlie by flying home.
The nerves leading up to her walking up to his apartment were intense. Her palms were sweaty, her heart was beating so hard she thought it would leap out of her chest. He wasn’t home. But she had a key and let herself in.
Charlie had a long day grueling day. He had to be up early since they were finishing up the film he was working on, and then he had to go straight to getting people’s orders and getting yelled at occasionally. To say he was tired was an understatement. As he was approaching his apartment, he saw the lights on. He figured he’d left some lights on himself, but when he walked in, she was there. She was back in his apartment, waiting to greet him with some takeout. He felt relieved, happy, sad and some more emotions he couldn’t place.
She hesitated, but ultimately ran up to hug and kiss him for the first time since she’d left for South America back in the summer. They both tensed up, and they both felt it, but didn’t address it right away.
They each sat in an awkward silence on the couch, avoiding eye contact with each other. They could each sense that the other wanted to say something, even maybe apologize.
Charlie took a deep breath, “We need to talk.”
Dani looked him in the eye for the first time and knew what was about to happen. After a whole bunch of tears and some words, they came to an agreement that they would be better off as friends than together. And with that, they went their separate ways.
* * *
Charlie comes back to reality when he opens his eyes. He tries to keep his tears at bay, but they escape his waterline. She’s getting married in two weeks and seemingly really wants him to be there. Charlie, thinking to himself, says, “How can I be there for her and support her when that should be us up there, sharing our love with all our friends and family?”
He had already RSVP’d when he had first gotten the invite, thinking he was over it and didn’t care. He’d buried his feelings deep, and now it was all coming out. His mind tried finding the perfect excuse as to why he couldn’t attend after all. He makes his way over to the couch, whiskey glass in one hard, and the remote in the other, his thumb hovering over the next button, trying to find the perfect thing to distract his mind. Maybe something would pop up that would help him come up with an excuse as well.
He tilted his head back as he finished off his whiskey, then he got up to go grab the whiskey bottle and bring it over back to the couch.
After aimlessly flipping through all the content of the different streaming channels, he stumbled his way into his room. Peeking out from under his bed was a box that he forgot he had. It’s like the universe was trying to make his day worse by having it placed just so the light peeking into his apartment from the streetlights hit this box perfectly.
In the box was memories. Photos of their time together back in high school with each other and their friends. Although they weren’t officially together back then, they still had a connection. They were best friends first, and that made the spark between them that much stronger. He found one photo in particular that was his favorite of theirs. It was at their senior prom. They both ended up getting stood up in one way or another, so they just went together. They talked, they danced, they were their complete selves and had no care in the world about anything else.
That night was the night that Charlie fully realized he was in love with his best friend. He knew she felt it too. But he’d waited until she was ready. While looking at the photos he felt his heart cling to his chest his nose become drippy. He dragged his hands over his face as if to wipe all the tears off in one motion.
Once he finally stopped crying, he slowly got up from where he was sitting on the floor and tried to rush himself towards the door. His mind raced to figure out his next move, the slight breeze hitting his face, causing goosebumps to arise on his body. He wanted to sober up, and clear his head, and the only way he knew how was to just go outside for some fresh air and walk it off. He mindlessly walked around and ended up at Dani’s parents’ house.
Charlie walked up the steps to the front door and adamantly kept pressing the doorbell until someone answered. Dani’s mom answered the door with a panicked yet sleepy look on her face. It was midnight, after all.
“Charlie, are you okay sweetie? You look like you’ve been drinking too much.”
He felt his heart racing and tried to keep himself together while attempting to get the words he was thinking from his brain out through his mouth.
“I—I’m looking for Dani, is she here? Do you know where she is? Where can I find her?” He panicked. Trying to remember where she lived at the moment seemed impossible. With his mind and heart racing, the same questions came out of his mouth until her mom was able to cut him off and tell him she should be at her apartment, but that he shouldn’t go in the current state he was in.
Nodding his head, he silently thanks her mom and leaves in a hurry. Embarrassed, he decided she was right, he couldn’t show up at her apartment a mess. Walking around, the memory of Dani telling him she was engaged found its way from the depths of his memory. He regrets not telling her how he truly felt for her and about her. Instead he told her what he thought she wanted to hear, which was that he’s absolutely thrilled she found someone to spend the rest of her life with.
After his chat with her mom, he kept mindlessly walking, his mind full of thoughts. What would Dr. Collins say if she found out this is what he was doing? She would probably tell him it was a bad idea and he shouldn’t have done it in the first place, but here we are. Slightly more sobered up, he made his way to the front door of her apartment, hitting the buzzer for her to let her in.
After a few times of pressing the buzzer, Dani finally answered in a sleepy, aggravated tone. “Jesus, fuck, relax, who the hell is this?”
“It’s me,” Charlie says, with a sadness in his voice.
Dani takes a deep breath and buzzes him in. She waited for him at her door and when she saw him making his way up the stairs, said, “What is the matter with you? What are you thinking, it’s the middle of the night, what was so important that you had to—”
Charlie cuts her off. “You’re so beautiful.” Charlie looked at her and saw pure beauty, even when she was pissed off and tired. Her hair was in a messy bun, wearing a plain white tee with one side sliding off her shoulder a little, ripped jeans, and no make-up.
Dani takes a deep breath, unfurrows her brows, and says, “Thank you, but seriously what is wrong with you, how much have you had to drink?”
“It’s not important,” he replies.
Once she let him into her apartment, she told him to sit down on her faux black leather slumpy couch while she gets him some water to help sober him up. Sitting on the couch, looking around her apartment he saw a few small artifacts she collected over the years from her time South America decorating her apartment, making it feel more like her place. His leg bounces as he tries to come up with the courage to say what he wants to say, even if it does make him selfish.
Dani came back with a glass of water. “Here. Drink.”
“Thanks…” His hand brushes against hers, and his heart rate picked up again. His lungs felt like they were going to be sealed airtight. He felt his breath shorten as his face started to leak with sweat and tears.
She sat closer next to him, trying to comfort him, but still leaving some space between them. He wanted to tell her in words how he felt, but he couldn’t figure out which of those words would mean the most.
He took one look into her hazel eyes and breathed out, “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” she asked, starting to get more concerned.
“Everything. Not trying hard enough. Not fighting for us to still be together.”
She puts her hand on his and leans in closer to him. “It’s okay. You weren’t the only one in the relationship. We both didn’t fight as hard as we probably should have.”
He leans his head against hers. “I love you, Dani. And I don’t want to let you go, I never did.”
Dani takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. Sighing as if she were to say, “me too.” Their faces so close that if either of them moved ever so slightly, their lips would touch. Charlie takes a deep breath and moves himself away from her. He makes his way up and off the couch and towards the door.
“Sorry for causing so much trouble, I promise I won’t do this at the wedding. It is your day, after all,” he says with a slight smile, trying to brighten the mood.
Dani looks at him with a slight smile. She feels herself start to sweat a bit, and she feels her heart skip a beat. Without hesitation she walks up to him and places her lips on his with a small kiss.
Pulling away, she breathes out, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“It’s alright. I—I’m gonna head on out, I’ll see you, Dani.”
Dani nods and waits for him to leave. Only then does she let out the breath and tears she was holding back. She goes to the door to lock it and makes her way back into her room and under the covers. She lays there, replaying the whole situation. She didn’t understand the feeling that was bubbling back up. She’d put those feelings away once they decided not to be together anymore. The moment his green eyes met hers in the hallway outside her apartment, she felt those feelings slip through a crack in her heart.
She got up and went to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn’t place her own expression or feelings. She looked down to where she kept her engagement ring and picked it up. She admired the shine it gave off. It was a beautiful ring, she would never deny that, but it wasn’t her favorite. Taking a minute to compose herself and her thoughts, she was starting to question if she is about to make a life-changing decision without fully processing and healing from her previous relationship.
While Dani is contemplating on what she wants to do and what she wants in life, Charlie takes his time walking back home, letting the crisp air wave past him. He too was going over the events that just happened. He felt a weight lifting off his chest just a bit, but he still felt bad for telling her how he felt just two weeks before she said “I do” to her fiancé.
Charlie and Dani both ended up twisting and turning in their beds, trying to get themselves some kind of sleep, but it was no use. Charlie woke up with a hangover, and Dani woke up with a puffy face from being up and stressed the rest of the night.
Charlie hopped in the shower and got ready for work, but before he headed to set, he stopped by Dani’s parents’ house.
A shocked but soft smile appeared on Dani’s mom’s face as she saw Charlie was at the door once more.
“Did you find her?” she asked with a cheeky smile.
“Um yes, yes I did. But I wanted to come and apologize to you and your husband for being a complete ass last night. I was emotional and had a few drinks.”
“Thank you for apologizing, but are you sure you’re alright? Did you want to come in a talk about it?”
“Oh, uh, no that’s alright, I’m actually on my way to set, I just wanted to come and apologize. Have a good one.”
“I’ll see you soon, Charlie.”
As soon as he got to set, he was busy. There was a lot to shoot today, and it all needed to be done swiftly. They were shooting the scene where the main couple finally realize that they were going their separate ways. Charlie was able to keep his mind completely busy and not have to think about anything else, at least for these next couple of hours.
After a successful day Charlie sat in his car and pulled out his phone. He went through his contact list and stopped at the therapist he had labeled “confidante,” hovering his thumb over the number. z
It took no more than two rings for her to pick up. “Hello? Charles, is everything alright?”
“Uhh, yeah, Dr. Collins. Hi, I was calling to see if you were available for a quick session today or sometime this week.”
“Of course, I’m still in the office at the studio if you want to come stop by.”
“Great, I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
“Alright, see you then.”
With that, Charlie made his way to the studio. He turns his phone off and knocks on the doorframe and waits for her to respond.
“You can come in, Charles.”
Charlie walks into the office and sits in the chair in front of her desk. She patiently waits for him to start speaking.
“I saw Dani the other day.”
She gives him a look to continue.
Charlie word vomits everything that happened. “I, uh, kind of got emotional and drank some more whiskey than I should have and went over to her place to talk and ended up apologizing, and it felt like closure, but not really. I mean, she kissed me, and then I didn’t know what to do, so I just left.”
Dr. Collins just looks at him with a straight face, waiting to see if any more was coming out. She takes in a breath and says, “Well. That was probably the most you’ve ever talked in one of our sessions. Voluntarily. I’m proud of you for opening up. I’m not saying what you did was right, in fact it was pretty selfish. But how does this make you feel? What do you mean it felt like closure but not really?”
“I don’t know. I mean, we both admitted we were at fault, and it seemed over, but then she kissed me. She’s getting married, I haven’t talked to her since it happened.”
“Maybe you should call and ask her. Get the full closure you need. Do you still love her?” Dr. Collins said with a brow raise.
“I—I do, I’ve always loved her, always will. I know I need to talk to her, I will.”
Charlie walks out of the studio and heads for his car, he went to turn his phone back on and saw that he had a few texts, some emails, and some phone calls he needed to return. But one missed phone call got his attention more than the rest.
Dani had called.
She called asking if they can talk at some point later that night or in the next few days. He called her back immediately, and when she answered, he could sense where the conversation was going.
“Hey.” Dani said while holding her breath.
“Hey, um, just returning the call. You wanted to talk?”
“Yeah, um about the other night, I’m sorry again, there’s no excuse. I should not have done that. I hope you can forgive me.”
“It’s alright, no need to apologize, I honestly didn’t know to react to that, so I just left, I’m sorry for doing that. And of course, I forgive you.” He hears her sigh in relief. They sat in awkward silence for about a minute before Dani spoke up again.
“You’re still coming to the wedding, right?
“So, there is still a wedding happening.”
“Of course, why wouldn’t it be happening?”
“I mean, you kissed me, Dani. Anyone would think there’s a possibility of a cancellation.”
“Okay, I’m not cancelling the wedding, that’s what I actually wanted to talk about. Look, I know I kissed you, and that’s on me. But I still love Dylan and I’m going to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him.”
Charlie knows this next question he asks might start an argument but asks it anyway. “Are you happy and in love with him?”
Dani pauses. “Of course, I love him. Why wo—”
Charlie cuts her off. “That wasn’t my question, are you in love with him?”
Dani paused and wasn’t sure how to answer or continue the conversation without getting angry or upset. “Yes. Yes, I am. And I’m marrying him in two weeks, and I can’t wait.” She tries to convince Charlie, but it sounds like she’s trying to convince herself as well. With that she hangs up before she lets anything else slip out.
Charlie felt a pinch in his chest.
Even though they had a stupid argument when last they spoke, Charlie still wanted to look his best for her wedding day. Even though he’s not the one getting to spend the rest of his life with her, he still wants to make her happy.
He wore his black suit, white button-down shirt, and no tie, and he slicked back his hair to make himself look somewhat decent up there. He unbuttoned the first two or three buttons to make it more casual, so he doesn’t look like he’s trying too hard. When it’s time to leave for the church, Charlie took one more glance of himself in the mirror and said, “Don’t let your emotions get the best of you, Charlie. Let this be her be happy day.”
Once he got to the church, he hesitated to get out of the car. He didn’t want to just sit there and wait and get asked questions by everyone and make small talk with people he doesn’t know too well. Finally, he gained the courage to get out of the car and go into the church, filled with friends and family of both Dani and Dylan. People were wearing outrageous colors: neon blues, bright pinks, a random really really lime green. People really have confidence to pull anything off these days, he thought to himself. He finds a spot that’s not right in her line of vision but at a close enough distance to witness her beauty when she goes down the aisle.
The music started, and the bridesmaids walked down the aisle in a nice lilac off the shoulder, full length dress with flowers across the shoulder. It was time for the bride. As the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle, everyone took notice of the beautiful and delicate color of blue Dani used for their dresses. Then everyone stood up and turned to face Dani. All eyes were on her. This was her moment.
As Dani passed each aisle, her perfume lingered behind her. The scent filled Charlie’s nostrils and took him back to when he first noticed that she was wearing it, their first day of high school. They’d had homeroom and a few other classes together, and she sat in front of him in for most of them. Just as that quick memory came, it went. He is now watching the love of his life get married to someone she says she’s in love with.
The couple repeats their vows and promise their love for each other for better or worse, and ultimately seal their love with a kiss.
As the newlyweds make their way down the aisle, everyone cheers them on and heads towards the reception that follows. Charlie debates on if he should go or not, and decides to go for just a little bit, since, as usual, he has to be up early for his workday tomorrow.
Charlie makes his way to the bar while he waits for the newly married couple to make their entrance. He takes notice of all the subtlety that went into what this place looked like. It was delicate and pretty, nothing too fancy, but it made it feel like you’d walked into a fairy tale land.
The MC tries to get everyone’s attention, and once he has it, he starts introducing everyone included in the wedding party. He finally gets to the couple of the hour. The doors open as the MC announces Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. Charlie’s eyes scan Dani’s face and see that smile of hers. The one that lights up any room she walks into. The couple has their first dance, and then they each dance with their respective parent. Once the touching moment is over, the bride and groom make their way around to thank and talk to as many of their guests as they can.
Dani eventually makes her way to Charlie. He can tell she’s running on an adrenaline high, and that dispels the awkwardness between them.
“Thank you for coming. It really does mean a lot to me that you’re here.” She said with a smile.
“Wouldn’t miss it seeing you happy for anything in the world.” He replies with an equal smile. “I can’t stay long, long couple of days of filming ahead of us.”
“Oh, yeah of course, thank you for coming and supporting either way.”
“Always.” Charlie gives her a hug and kiss on the cheek before he makes his way towards Dylan and congratulates him on his new milestone and a happy marriage. He then heads out the door and goes home.
* * *
Ten years later…
Charlie, still in the film and television business, has made his way further up the chain, and some more connections to help with his first directorial debut. There was a script being thrown around about some historic landmarks in Lima, something he wanted to work on for a while, He’s been working on it for a while, and now it’s finally in the process of filming. There were a few locations, including in South America, Peru to be exact. They’ve been given a few days to take some time and explore the city a bit before resuming filming.
Walking around the different streets in Lima, Charlie found himself sitting outside a small quiet café, enjoying the sun on his face, taking time to really breathe and relax. There’s no deadline, no emergencies he has to take care of at the moment, just pure bliss. He’s in a beautiful country, working on a dream project, doing what he loves, what could possibly be better than this?
They’ve been given a few days to take some time and explore the city a bit before resuming filming.
Walking around the different streets in Lima, Charlie found himself sitting outside a small quiet café, enjoying the sun on his face, taking time to really breathe and relax. There’s no deadline, no emergencies he has to take care of at the moment, just pure bliss. He’s in a beautiful country, working on a dream project, doing what he loves, what could possibly be better than this?
As he’s sitting there, he hears a familiar voice. “Dani?” She turns around to find the source of where she heard her name. She takes a deep breath. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Ch—Charlie? Oh my God. I ca—what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I—uh, I’m working on my film. Directing and all that.”
“What! That’s amazing! Congratulations!” She pulls him in for a hug, they both feel each other holding on tighter and savoring this moment of seeing each other for the first time in 10 years.
“I’m proud of you Charlie. You worked so hard, and now it’s happening!”
Charlie felt himself blush and smiles. “Thanks. Do you wanna sit down? Catch up?”
“Yeah, I’d love to.”
“So, what’s going on with you, why’re you here?” Dani pauses, “uh, I’m actually working with the museum to uncover some new artifacts. I’ve been here for a good…two years, about.”
Charlie furrows his brows a bit. “Two years, that’s incredible. You always did talk about finding cool new/old things.”
He chuckles, she smiles. They sit in silence simply taking in each other’s presence.
Then Charlie hazarded, “How does Dylan like it here?”
“I, uh, divorced Dylan.” Dani blurts out.
Charlie sits in shock and all he can come up with is, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, it was good for a while, we lived that fairytale life, and that was over a few months in. We argued too much. We moved because of his job, and I thought it would help us mend that connection I thought we had, but I think I was trying to prove something to myself instead of working on myself, and I dragged Dylan along. But that was a few years ago, I’m here now, constantly working on myself and living my best life.”
Charlie looks at her in awe and can’t help but feel his heart still beat the same for her, just like it did all those years ago.
“How about you, anyone live up to the Charlie standard?” She asks with a chuckle.
“Umm, no. Not right now anyway. I had a few dates here and there, but nothing ever worked out long enough. Work schedule and all that.”
They sat in comfortable silence but avoiding eye contact.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll find the one you’re meant to find.” She smiles warmly at Charlie.
“Yeah, maybe.” He smiles back.
“How long are you in Lima for?” she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.
“Um, about three more months, and then we’re off to post and putting it all together.”
“Well, while you’re still in town, did you want to grab some lunch or maybe dinner in the next few days?” she asked with a glimmer in her eye.
“I’ll always make time for my best girl,” Charlie admits with a blush. “I’d really like that.
Gives us a chance to really catch up on everything.” He smiles hopefully.
They exchange phone numbers and start to gather their things.
“Well, I should get back, early day tomorrow.” Dani says.
“Funny, us too. Looks like we finally ended up having similar schedules.” Charlie said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, funny how life works that way. I’ll see you soon, Charlie.” She flashes her smile at him one last time before she walks away.
“Yeah, I’ll see you soon, Dani.”
Weronika Raczek 
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