Page 66 of Paper Hearts & Plot Twists

E: Virtual hugs back. And I’m barely surviving until we can have real ones. Until then, know you’re in my thoughts and heart every day.

M: We’ll get through this, and soon we’ll be together again.

Emily set her phone down and went back to working on the schedule, a smile on her face. She wished Miles was with her, but as much as they were talking, it was close to the real deal. She could do this.

Four Weeks Post Conference

That white page and blinking cursor was taunting her. Emily’s fingers were poised over the keyboard, in the same position they’ve been in the last ten minutes. Every few minutes she’d tap her fingers lightly, not putting enough pressure to actually type, but with enough pressure to lightly rattle the keys.

She wrinkled her nose and closed the screen of the computer. Trying to write was futile at the moment and it was annoying her. She’d always been able to write, but for the last week she’d been running into this problem and didn’t know what was going on. She’d never before hit the proverbial “writers block” and she hated it.

Grabbing her phone, she plopped down onto her back on the bed and unlocked the screen. She scrolled to Miles’s name and typed a quick sentence, sending it off.

E: Hey, feeling a bit stuck with my writing today.

M: Aw, I’m sorry to hear that. What’s going on?

E: I don’t know, just hitting a wall with my ideas. The words won’t flow and it’s frustrating.

M: I’ve been there. Maybe take a step back, go for a walk, clear your mind?

E: Tried that already. It’s like my creativity is on vacation without me.

M: Don’t be too hard on yourself. Writer’s block happens to the best of us. Do you want advice or commiseration?

E: I think advice would kill me. I’ve been staring at the screen for what feels like hours.

M: I wish I could help.

E: I wish you were here.

M: Someday we’ll be together again.

E: Someday soon hopefully!

Six Weeks Post Conference

Emily jumped as her phone pinged. She reached across the desk to glance at the message from Miles. She smiled when she saw the text, though she also felt her heart cringe at how short the message was. She felt like they were getting further and further apart and she didn’t know what to do.

M: Miss you

E: Miss you too

M: FaceTime?

E: Can’t, sorry. I got called into work today, and I’ll be here pretty late.

M: Have a nice time at work!

Emily set her phone off to the side and continued to work on drafting her current email to one of the company’s clients inquiring about a quote. She frowned, her mind continuing to run back to that text message exchange.

It felt like their relationship was falling through the cracks. She was trying, and it seemed like Miles was trying too, but anytime she was available, he was busy and vice versa. It had been over a week since they’d FaceTimed each other, and they hadn’t had a text exchange longer than five messages in days. Emily felt her hopes of having a relationship with him plummeting.

She knew from the start anything she had with him wasn’t going to be permanent. She knew a relationship with him would break her heart. But it had gone so well those first couple of weeks that hope had started to worm its way into her heart, hope that was being ruthlessly crushed now.

Maybe it would be easier to end it now. Maybe it would save her from worse heartbreak later. But Emily couldn’t bring herself to make that happen. She’d take every crumb Miles was able to give her until the very end.

Eight Weeks Post Conference

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