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Clinging to every hope, Jessica remained in England as long as she could. The desperate hope for information became the desperate sense of loss. She finally realized the time had arrived to return home. The gals she shared a rented New York brownstone with had reunited with their husbands and boyfriends.
Jessica found an efficiency apartment and lived a solitary life. Although she was trained as a nurse, she couldn’t face that career any longer. Memories of the injured soldiers she tended appeared in her nightmares. Instead she took a job as a typist at a law firm.
Still, she struggled with her job. When she composed letters, the typewriter keys chanted Jeremy’s name. In her inner ear, she heard the tune “Auld Lang Syne” repeatedly. It nearly drove her insane. She couldn’t shake the dreadful illusion of Jeremy standing in the doorway beckoning her to join him. 29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡusfkcOhn7j
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When her boss invited everyone to a New Year’s Eve Party, Jessica refused to attend. She couldn’t face the music. At midnight, Guy Lombardo would certainly play ‘that song’ on the radio. She could not bear to stand in a crowded room amongst the revelers. It brought back too many memories of that wonderful day in Scotland.
She closed her eyes and pictured that burly Scotsman in his plaid kilt. The words rolled off his tongue and Jeremy imitated him perfectly. How joyful that day was! She recalled their laughter and their love. Never would she feel those emotions again. Instead her heart wept.
Although she declined, her co-workers insisted she attend. Finally, with a heavy heart, she accepted. The party sprang to life in her boss’s penthouse apartment. Jessica hovered in a corner, barely joining in. She wanted to fade into the background; her heart wasn’t into the annual celebration. All she wanted was Jeremy and to indulge in her sorrowful memories.
The sound of laughter and party horns became unbearable. Jessica slipped, unnoticed, onto the balcony. She leaned against the railing and looked down at the street. Below her, a couple of lovers stopped beneath the streetlight. They kissed and staggered onward. Tears welled in her eyes. What was her life without Jeremy?
Inside, the countdown began. Slurred voices chanted 10, 9, 8, 7. The sound grew louder as the midnight hours approached quickly. Each second brought them closer to the turning of the year. Soon, the dreaded tune would begin. Jessica leaned forward. Champagne dripped from her glass and the flute slipped from her lax fingers. It crashed on the sidewalk below. Behind her, the partiers shouted 6, 5, 4, 3. And finally, 2, 1.
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