He did not see the speeding truck.

He was so lost in turbulent thought, trying to retrace his steps to where he missed all the signs and totally let the one and only thing that made sense to his small world slip away so fast...

How could he have been so stupid...

And why was he being stupider now?

*************************

Alicia's gaze dropped to her plate, the rare- done steak did not look as appetizing nor did she feel as hungry as when she had yelped a delighted 'yes!' in the mouth piece of her cell phone to Gerald when he proposed and followed it up with a dinner invitation to celebrate their engagement.

Gerald.

She thought she loved Gerald...

Yes, she did...

No...

She did not know...

She did know with clarity beyond anything that she did love Gerald

Till

The message in the bottle...

Was he crazy?

No

But...was he crazy?

The words in the small crumpled note she found in the bottle, played in her memory bank over and over like it was set on 'repeat' by an invisible remote in Monty's hand

"We never know what we have got till it's gone. Am I too late, Alicia?"

******************

The plate of steak clouded over into a hazy mound as tears welled and filled her eyes threateningly forcing their way through the corners of the white orbs onto the surface...memories flooded like a ferocious waterfall... it had been six years... six beautiful years of a deep meaningful relationship and friendship...and love... she had never known love like when she was with Monty. He made all things new, simple and beautiful...

Yeah, those six heavenly years...

What happened?

Oh, he was her friend

Maybe they took it all for granted... the friendship

They did not think...

No, they did not address the fact that they actually cared for each other more than they thought they did.

Maybe they both thought they had time.

'We never know what we got till it's gone"

*************************

Gerald was saying something and she missed it...

He was clasping his hand over hers

She started...

'What did it say?' he was asking her

"What?' she was absent minded

"The message in the bottle that the waiter brought" he replied puzzled

She stared at him blankly

She shook her head.

This was all a mistake. Gerald, the engagement...

She could feel Monty, she knew he had come here to remind her...

She could not explain it but she could almost smell the tangy pine scent he so loved...the air seemed to be filled with it...

The hugs he used to give her...

She needed one now.

She did not know how and why she did it

But instinctively, Alicia was on her feet heading out of the restaurant...the wind faintly carried back to her Gerald's voice as he called to her

All she knew then was that she had to find Monty.

Reach him before he was gone from her life

She needed to explain.

**************************************

But what? What happened to them?

six beautiful years...

What happened?

She reached the front porch of the restaurant, looking out into the street.

Cars wheezed by in break neck speed.

And she saw him__

Monty.

Maybe it was not too late, she sighed in relief.

Now they could talk and make up for lost time.

Now they could release the unspoken affection she knew they both felt.

She rushed forward...

Then she saw the truck.

But Monty,

He did not see the speeding truck.