Meet Paris

What was she doing on this train? The thoughts began to worry her. What if she wasn't ready for Paris? What if she couldn't step through those doors?

As she passed the blurry streams of green and blue, she heard the barista pull up her clanking cart and offer drinks to the nearby customers. As a community college librarian, she had basically given up her want for alcohol. She has made her own mistakes once too many times from such a drug. She had experienced what it does to too many people, and how it lost her the love of her life. And it was the the knife that first drew blood.

Alyssa was always a good girl who rarely had a drink, let alone a couple. She didn't like the way people stopped being themselves. She didn't like the decisions she chose to make. That night, she cringed. She hated that night. It was the night she stabbed herself with the knife, the day she received and lost the love of her life.

When Alyssa was 14, she went to her first high school party. Feeling ready to grow up, feeling ready to make that next step. And as one of the senior drama kings approached her, her knees buckled. He chuckled and she blushed. He passed her a drink, then another as they discussed silly things. He flirted, she flirted back. Tony grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor. And with one last drink, that's all she remembered until the next day.

She woke up in a fright. Where was she? Who was this next to her? Where were her clothes. Her panic set in. She looked around quickly, got dressed as fast as she could and bolted.

Through the next month, they passed each other in the halls and it was as if she was invisible. How could she be so stupid? What would happen to her? She'd never drink alcohol again, she realized as the two little lines turned on the pregnancy test.

But today was different. She ordered another glass of wine as she thought about Paris.

She couldn't believe that she would soon be in the city. She had never been to Paris but expected that romance was just a part of the city's charm. The most terrifying part, was that she would be meeting her daughter for the first time.

After finding out she was pregnant, she decided to give the child up for adoption. She never expected to hear that voice again, never expecting to see those vibrant blue eyes again. Alyssa was in love for the first time in her life. She loved the cry that came out of that child. The way the baby looked at her through the glass and the way she seemed to smile even though she was much too young. Alyssa couldn't keep the baby. She had to rip out her own heart as she watched her daughter leave her in what appeared to be a forever kind of way.

I guess forever didn't last quite as long as I thought it would, she mused. She picked up her glass of wine and stared at the design. The intricate grooves and gems along the glass reminded her of a chalice. Just what she would expect if she was going to see Paris. As she pulled the glass to her lips, she hoped for bravery and she hoped for her daughter, she hoped this new forever would allow them to be together.

What Alyssa didn't know is that the barista could tell the anxiety billowing off of her. She grabbed the specific glass with a smirk and set it down for Alyssa knowing what would happen next. Sometimes everyone needs a sip of courage.

As the train stopped, Alyssa stood with a new vigor. She was ready. She got to the edge of the train and halted. She was going to see Paris, she was going to meet Paris, Paris was all she could dream of since she received the letter.

The letter was very straight forward, asking to meet up in Paris on this weekend. Her daughter coached a beauty pageant and wanted to share the excitement with someone. Her adopted parents had died in a fire years ago. Her daughter explained that the beauty on the inside is all you need but that you also need to appreciate beauty when it is around you.

I wonder what color eyes Paris has now? Sometimes eyes change on a baby, would I even recognize her? As she took a deep breath and stepped off the train, all her worries went away. She walked until she was directly under the clock in the station and looked around ravenously.

The eyes jumped at her. These mystic blue eyes were a color only fit for gems and they showed every ounce of excitement, nervousness and fear. Her daughter, Paris, was beautiful. She had long dark hair, big brown eyes. Her lips were the color of the morning sun. She was perfect.