The wind howled, whipping through the salt-kissed air as James stood at the edge of the cliff, his weathered face lined with both age and the weight of a lifetime of memories. Thirty eight years had passed since he had last seen her, yet the pain of their separation had never left him. The crashing waves below mirrored the tumultuous emotions swirling within him. With a heavy heart, James closed his eyes and let his mind drift back to that fateful day when he and Emily had promised each other forever. They had been young and foolish, brimming with dreams and a love that felt invincible. They swore that no matter what life threw their way, they would always find their way back to one another. But fate had a cruel sense of humor. Emily had moved overseas to pursue her studies, and despite James's tireless efforts to maintain their connection, the distance grew between them like an unbridgeable chasm. He wrote countless letters, sent packages filled with tokens of his love  desperate to ensure their bond remained unbroken. But his letters went unanswered, and his gestures of love were met with silence. Every year, on the same day they had last met at this cliff, James returned. For thirty-eight years, he had kept his promise to himself, clinging to the flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, Emily would remember the vow they had made so long ago. Each visit had been both a bittersweet solace and a painful reminder of what they had lost. He scratched against a large rock with a piece of tunsten that he had fashioned years ago. It was painstaking and perilous standing against the ladder and chipping and scratching away at it . The seagulls floated over in the sky and the wind was icy . He thought back to that day when he last saw her . The climate was warmer then and they were just a few years out of school . He had met her at a bakery when she bumped into him. He looked into her large brown eyes and fell  instantly for her . She took a while and fell for him when he was away on duty fighting at the border. The last time he saw her she was wearing a figure hugging green dress and a red scarf . She twirled round and round running barefoot as James smiled at her. She had a gorgeous figure and the light from the ocean revealed her silhouette. The salt air wafted in and teased her shoulder length hair. Her eyes sparkled and she walked up to him and out her arms around him. She closed her eyes and moaned as he pulled her close to him . Then their lips locked and she melted in his warm embrace. She tasted sweet and gasped for air . He had kissed her before but this time something primal and overwhelmed him and he felt his knees buckling and fell back onto the picnic blanket as she fell on top of him. She smiled and ran her hands over him . Later they lay au naturel entwined and lost in each other as the mist rolled in from the sea . "I love you," she said . "I love you more," he said . He began to sob and bawl loudly . The tears raced down the side of his face . The wind was cold and he felt the tears get cold. His hands were blistered from the chipping. He walked up the the edge of the cliff and see the waved crashing into the rocks below. He pulled out a wad of letters. They were all returned to him . Thirty eight years of letters in a box . Not once had she written back. Thirty eight times he had come here to find her not here. He had lived in the area so that he was close by . He pulled out a lighter and lit the letters in a box . They began to burn . He felt the warmth of the fire but was cold inside . A lifetime of waiting . A lifetime of hope . All their dreams gone. Al his love going up in flames. He kicked the box and it fell off the  cliff. He looked up at the rock and smiled.  He closed his eyes and said " I love you Emily," then leaned forward and plummeted. A minute later a greying woman ran up . "James !" she shouted .   She saw a letter and picked it up."Emily , my love for you has never wanted. I have loved you since the first day I saw you. I will love you forever." She looked up at the rock and saw that there etched into it was a picture of James and her when they were young . Below was written "I could not wait any longer." He could not light the flame. He could not . "Don't," she said . There she was in the same dress after all the years. He blinked . It was her. She walked slowly toward him and then took the letters. She took hold of his face and tried to kiss him but he pulled away. "Don't ," he said . "Not again," "Thirty eight years I have come here. Thirty eight times , my heart broken . I have none now ," James said. "Please listen ," she said . "I don't want to. I loved you all this time but I don't love you anymore. I hope you were happy," he said. She began to cry then sob. He did not look at her . "I am so sorry ," she said "I gave you the wrong address. I didn't want you to find me," she said. "Why?" he asked . "Did you not love me?" he asked .   " I was still young and did not know what real love was. I lied to you . Hamza ....Hamza ....," she began . "I hope he made you happy ," he said . "I went to Paris. Hamza followed me after I told him I wanted you and never wanted him in my life again but he was nice and eventually we became friends again," she began . "And you fell for him," he began. "No , he drugged me and forced himself on me and I became pregnant ," she said . He said nothing . "I did not tell my parents but we married secretly and moved to Pakistan. My parents eventually forgave me . For the first few years he was good. I took care of our beautiful boy Nazim but eventually he stopped me from communicating with my family and friends . I got pregnant again and then he began to beat me and stopped me from wanting to work  . I stayed because of the kids . I had four with him . He had others with other women and took two other wives . I took care of their children. Then the children left home and I had nothing and wanted to die ," she said . "I'm sorry ," James said holding her . They were silent for a few minutes ."He looks just like you James ," said Emily. " Who does ?" said James . "My grandson? " he asked. She nodded . "When Hamza died I did a DNA test and found out our son Kassim was not Hamza's . Imraan is his son and he looks like you . He has your ways and it's because of him I am here ," she said. "How so?" he asked . "He asked me one day why I was crying . I was looking at him eat and thought of you . He told me that I must be happy or he will die ," she said . James began to sob. "I want to meet him," They looked at each other and kissed . He felt his life return and his heart beat strongly . The clouds began to part and the sunlight disappeared . She was still so beautiful . "I will never let you go again. Never ever ," he said. Suddenly he felt his skin tighten . His skin was getting young again and so was hers . In a few minutes they were young again . A few months later Imraan saw the two kissing and said "Ma is happy and I am happy ." The aliens looked at each other and smiled . They then engaged the hyperdrive and flew away . James and Emily saw the streak across the sky and somehow knew .   True love exists forever over distance and time .