Finally, the day that I had dreaded since the day I had met Jean-Paul had arrived.

It was time for his flight back to Paris. I decided to wake up a little early to make him breakfast before he had to get on the plane for a long trip back home.

I had decided to make him some homemade oatmeal with fresh fruit. I poured him a glass of orange juice before going into the bedroom to wake him up.

I tried my best to hold my composure through the morning, but when he got dressed and it was time for me to drop him off at the airport, I completely lost it.

I fell down onto the couch with tears streaming down my face, a tightness in my chest, and I found it harder to breathe.

Jean-Paul came over to sit down beside me.

"I'm so sorry Blakely," he whispered as he pulled me into his arms and held onto me tightly.

"I didn't plan to come to the US to meet a woman and fall in love. I'm sure you didn't mean to meet another man after what happened with Max. But we did. We fell hard for each other, he said. This isn't a permanent goodbye. Just goodbye until I can figure out what to do. I promise you will see me again. Don't dwell on me leaving. Think about all of the memories we shared with each other. I promise to email and call often. If you have social media we can follow each other and talk on there too. We just have to have a long-distance relationship for a little while. I love you, Blakely, he wrapped me into an embrace. You have stolen my heart from the first moment you bumped into me in that coffee shop. No one else in this world could ever make me feel the way you do. It's us against the world, ma chérie."

His words left me with comfort. I only hoped and prayed that we would see each other again. I didn't want this to be the last time I ever saw his face. But even if it was for a little while, I was more than determined to make a long-distance relationship work.

"My heart is broken by you having to leave. But if you promise me that this will only be temporary, I'm sure I can be just fine. Promise me that we can talk every day."

"I promise," he whispered as he took hold of my hand and placed one last kiss upon it.

He held out his hand and I laced my hand within his. I helped him take his bags down to the car and then we were off to the airport.

We walked in and he checked into the airport before giving them his bags. We sat down in a seat next to each other while waiting for his plane to be called.

We didn't say anything. We just sat in silence and soaked in the last hour that we would see each other for who knows how long.

I leaned my head on Jean-Paul's shoulder, inhaling his scent like it was my dying breath. He wrapped his arm around me and rested his cheek against my hair.

I wrote down my email address, phone number, physical address, and social media handles on a piece of paper for Jean-Paul. He nodded his head as he took the paper into his hand and folded it before placing it into his pants pocket.

Finally, the moment I dreaded had arrived-Jean-Paul's plane was called to begin boarding. I tried to keep my composure, but I just couldn't do it anymore. I tried so hard to wait until he was out of sight before crying, but my emotions had other plans.

Tears started streaming down my face. Jean-Paul reached up to wipe them away one last time, before kissing me and whispering. "Until we see each other again." Then he pulled me in close for a hug. I breathed in his spicey smell one last time, before pulling away and letting him go.

He turned around and slowly walked away from me. At the gate to his flight, he turned back one last time to wave goodbye, before disappearing off into the distance.

I walked over to the window and watched the plane as it began to taxi the runway, ascent to the clouds, then disappear into the sky.

I walked slowly and sadly back to my car to make my way back to my apartment to get ready for work. I looked like a hot mess, so I needed to go home and take a shower, and make myself presentable before going into work.

Although I loved my job, I felt like I no longer had anything to look forward to. I could walk into the coffee shop on Saturday afternoon, but Jean-Paul wouldn't be there. I could go to his hotel to visit, but he wouldn't be there either.

I felt so empty inside and more lonely now than I had ever been. I pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex and walked slowly back up to my apartment.

I unlocked the door and walked inside. The smell of Jean-Paul's cologne hit me right in the face. It was almost as if he was still there, a painful reminder that he was on an eleven-hour flight back to Paris.

I sighed, then walked into the bedroom to gather up some clothes to wear for work. I then walked into the bathroom and started the water for a shower.

I got undressed and stepped into the hot water of the shower. I wet my hair before leaning my forehead up against the tile and just bursting into tears. My heart was broken. Although the experience with Jean-Paul wasn't the same as it was with Max, my heart was breaking just the same.

I took a longer shower than usual before stepping out and brushing my teeth. Then I applied some makeup to my red and swollen face, so as not to raise any questions in the office.

I got dressed in some jeans and a short sleeve brown and blue plaid shirt, then I pulled my hair up into a pony-tail to get it off of my shoulder.

I slipped into some flats and headed for the office.

I tried to wipe Jean-Paul's departure from my mind because I had a feeling I would have a busy morning, since it was our first day back to the office. Usually, things are a little crazy for the first couple of days as we all have to re-adjust with working.

I walked into the office and walked back into the lounge area. Nina greeted me with a big smile.

"Good morning, Nina. How was your vacation?" I asked, walking over to the Keurig and making myself a cup of coffee.

"Great! I visited my daughter and husband in Texas for the week," she grinned. "How was your break, Blakely? What did you end up doing?"

I repressed a sigh as I took a cup from the cupboard and placed it under the spout of the Keurig. "It was good," I said. "Jean-Paul and I rented a cabin in Gatlinburg, Tennessee for the week. We went sightseeing and did quite a few other fun things." I took my cup of coffee and went over to sit beside her at the table.

"Ooh, with Jean-Paul? Things getting serious?" She asked with suspicion.

"Uh-huh," was all I managed to utter out.

She oohed and ahhed at my response.

I didn't tell her that Jean-Paul went back to Paris. Work wasn't the time and place to discuss such a heartbreaking piece of information. Besides, I needed to compose myself and get my mind back on my work. The last thing I needed was to break into tears again.

By that time, a new and young face walked into the lounge. It was a girl we had never seen before. She was dressed in lavender-colored scrubs.

Doctor Lynch walked in right after the new girl and asked us all to gather around before speaking.

"I hope you all have enjoyed your well-deserved time off. I trust that you all spent it, well, and are now well-rested and, ready to take back on our workload."

The new girl walked over to Doctor Lynch.

"We have a new nurse in our office. This is Bellamy Ashford. I hope you all will make her feel welcome in our office and will extend a helping hand if she will end up needing it. She just moved here from Kentucky and is in a very unfamiliar place. I hope you all will make New York feel like home to her," Doctor Lynch said as she smiled and winked at me.

I thought back to my first time in New York. It was a much bigger place than I was used to. Maybe a new friend is exactly what I need right now to help take my mind off of Jean-Paul being gone.

"Hello, Bellamy, my name is Blakely Evans. I am also from Kentucky. If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to let me know. I would love to show you around New York sometime."

"Thank you, Blakely. Pretty name by the way. You can call me Belle. I would love for you to show me around sometime. I'm so lost in this big town," Bellamy chuckled as we shook hands with each other.

I couldn't help but smile. Belle reminded me a lot of myself when I first came to New York. I knew that if anyone could help her feel at home it was me.

I walked away from Belle as the office began to open up for our patients. The day seemed to drag by just a little, but knowing that I was about to have a new friend to help me get through Jean-Paul being gone was one thing that made the day more tolerable.

After we finished for the evening I asked Belle if she would like a quick tour around some of New York before going back to my apartment. Of course, she said yes. It felt like the beginning of a beautiful new friendship.