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She couldn't believe it. That stupid lying prick! They'd been together for six years and now he tells her that her taste in music sucks? Well, that alone wouldn't have been so bad, she could live with the fact that he was deaf to good rock. But to use that as an excuse to cheat on her with some plastic bimbo? Way too out of line!
It's not like he hasn't cheated before, she knew, but never had he gone so far as to bring some cheap whore into their bed. That was what made her decide enough was enough and throw him out of their apartment. Well, it's always actually been hers, so she had no problems with him coming back. He hadn't taken his key with him and she'd already gathered all his thing and put them out in the hallway.
But she couldn't stay anymore in a space that smelled only of betrayal and anger. She opened all windows wide, locked the flat and went for a walk in a nearby park to wind down a bit and gather her thoughts.
She sat on a park bench and watched as ducks swam around in the pond. She lost time as her thoughts circled deeper and deeper into sadness and disappointment. Slow tears flowed down her cheeks as she wondered how many times before that woman had slept in her place before she caught the two together. She didn't even notice that she started to sing in a low voice to somehow contain all she felt, by this point it was a habit from all the times a situation like this unfolded before. She only realised this when something moved in her peripheral vision.
Her voice halted abruptly and she turned her head to look at the stranger standing a few steps away.
He was short, definitely on the older side and a bit pale, dressed in black pants, a dark tee with some sort of an animal pattern on it and a black leather jacket with aviator sunglasses peeking out of the breast pocket. His dark hair was covered by a black cap. Kind blue eyes looked at her compassionately from under it. Slowy, telegraphing his movements he came closer and sat beside her on the bench. He seemed familiar but in her distracted state she couldn't quite place him.
They sat in silence as she dried her eyes and cheeks with a tissue he offered. She blew her nose and stood up to throw ithe tissue into the nearby bin.
She could just walk away. She wondered if he would try to follow but he seemed to be subtle enough to understand her need for privacy and space. However, there was something comforting about the man. She hesitated by the bin and then went back to sit on the bench before she changed her mind.
"Why are you crying?" he asked simply. He sounded a bit strange, after a moment she realised he had an accent. It was German, of the sort that degraded from speaking a lot of English but didn't disappear. She took a deep breath and looked up at her temporary companion who looked back at her with an encouraging but patient expression. He seemed determined to help her and that gave her the stregth to get the words out.
"My boyfriend of six years cheated on me. Again. And with some easy slut no less." The man's expression saddened. She continued.
"And then he went so far as to use my taste in music as a valid excuse for what he did, what he had been doing for half our relationship just cause I traveled for work! And I forgave him time and time again! And he promised he wouldn't anymore. And two hours ago I found him with that plastic whore. They were in our bed! He didn't even remember today's my birthday!" She hung her head fresh wave of tears flowed down her face as all the sadness she kept bottled up inside her got loose.
A consoling hand landed on her shoulder.
"That just means he wasn't worth you, you know. A man shouldn't forget himself in such a way ever, not to mention on his lady's day." He made her look up by squeezing her shoulder. "Happy birthday" he said with a sunny smile and the corners of her mouth went up the tiniest bit at this show of kindness even through the saltwater still streaming down her face.
"Could you... hold me for a moment?" she asked shyly, it wasn't normal for her to ask for hugs, especially from strangers. But he only held the arm closer to her out in a 'go ahead' gesture so she sat closer and put her head on his shoulder. His arm circled around her shoulders as he let her cry into his jacket to her broken heart's content.
He quietly took up the song she was singing earlier and occasionally halted to make soothing noises when she let out a particulary painful sob. They sat like that for a while as the sun moved to the west enough to bring them out of the shade of a nearby tree. She stopped crying at some point but he still hummed quiet melodies until she regained her calm.
He squeezed her shoulder once again. "I have to be going now. I hope I helped at least a little. It's bad for you to be sad on you birthday, you know." She smiled for what felt like the first time since forever and nodded. "You did. Very much so. Thank you." He returned her smile.
"Take care of yourself," he said as he stood up from the bench and started towards the park's exit. He was already halfway there when she realised who he was. She almost fell down in her haste to get off the bench.
"Have a great concert!" she shouted after him. He stopped and looked over his shoulder, smiling.
"See you there," he playfully saluted. She waved him goodbye and didn't move from her spot until he disappeared from her view completely. With hope for better future restored she returned home. Later that day she struggled to be in the front row as she listened to the words which followed her through the whole day.
Is there anybody there with that inclination
To bring back the sun to my heart