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Maggie stood outside Chanterelle in New York City in a vintage 40’s dress and shiny black pumps as she waited, once again, for him.

He was always late, no matter what the occasion. Band meetings. Performances. His own wedding. Always late!

Maggie checked her watch one more time noting that he was forty-five minutes later. She pulled out her black razor flipping it open seeing no text message or missed call. She signed heavily as she walked into the restaurant trying to save their reservations.

‘Hi, I have a reservation for Saporta at 7:30.’ Maggie said to the man standing in the door.

‘Ah Mrs. Saporta, he’s late again?’

‘As usual.’ Maggie said with a light smile.

‘Okay well follow me ma’am.’ Phillip said as he took two menus and started back to a table in the restaurant.

Chanterelle was a beautiful restaurant. It was Maggie’s favorite. She has so many memories in this restaurant. It was where she first met him, where they had their first date as well as their first kiss; it was the place where he proposed to her just fourteen months ago.

And now she was here, once again, to make a memory. The memory of the moment when she decided a divorce was inevitable.

Three hours later, Maggie once again sat by herself as Phillip walked back filling her wine glass up once again before noticing the tears running down her perfect face, ‘Mrs. Saporta, I don’t mean to pry but you look like you could use someone to talk to.’

‘Thanks Phillip but I think I’m just going to go home for the night, it’s obvious he’s not coming.’ She said standing up and picking up her purse on the table. Phillip handed her, her jacket as she walked outside into the cold pouring rain opting for a walk home instead of a dry taxi. She needed some time to think.

Gabe looked so peaceful asleep on his side of the large overly decorated bed curled up holding her pillow as she looked at him with drenched hair and soaked clothes. She sniffled softly before walking out of the room down to the guest room where she pulled out her Prada luggage.

By the time Gabe woke up the next morning Maggie had already handed her ticket stub to the woman standing at the gate.

6:43 The clock read as Gabe ran out of his room holding his car keys and a note. The note that ended his life. The note that ended everything he needed in his life. He had to get to her before she left, before she walked out on him, before she gave up on him.

Gabe ran into the airport, checking the departures on the big screen. He knew where she was going and he had to stop her.

New York to Paris: On schedule. Departure 7:03 AM Gate 32 Gabe looked at his watch as it flashed 7:02. He dropped his keys and phone an ran as fast as he could towards the gate where her plane was.

‘Sir the plane is about to take off.’ A flight attendant said as Gabe ran through the gate door and into the terminal.

‘Sir where are you going?’ a man asked as he ran towards the door to the plane right before it was shut.

‘Sir you can’t get on the plane it’s about to take off.’

‘My wife is on that plane.’ He breathed out trying to catch his breath, ‘My wife.’

‘I’m sorry sir I can’t let you get on the plane.’

‘Please. I need her.’

‘Sir I’m sorry.’ Gabe started to turn around before jumping the rope and jumping onto the plane before anyone could stop him.

‘Good morning ladies and gentlemen and welcome to American airlines flight 756,’ the captain began.

‘MAGGIE!’ Gabe yelled as he ran down the isles. Maggie’s eyes grew wide as she turned around and saw him running down the isle being chased by two guards.

‘Gabe?’ she asked standing up, ‘What are you doing?’

‘Saving our marriage. Maggie come ho-…’ Gabe was bowled over by the two guards before he could finish his sentence.

‘Wait.’ Maggie said.

‘Ma’am the plane has to take off, if you want to talk to him, you’re going to have to get off the plane.’ The captain said coming back to see what the disturbance was. Maggie looked at Gabe to see his pleading look.

‘Ma’am.’

‘Okay.’ Maggie said picking up her purse, apologizing to the man and woman sitting next to her as she followed the two guards and her estranged husband off the plane.

The two guards escorted Gabe off the plane in handcuffs as Maggie followed. They took Gabe back to a private room and sat him down in a chair with Maggie sitting in front of him as they left them to sort it out on their own.

Maggie looked at Gabe for nearly half an hour before she finally began to chuckle, ‘I’m glad that you think this is so funny.’ Gabe said looking down.

‘I just don’t understand you. You’re late to everything and if you aren’t late you forget but you manage to make it just in time to get me off a plane away from you. What are you doing Gabe? It’s not like you’ve cared about this marriage before you realized I was about to leave you.’

‘Is that what you think Maggie? Do you think that I don’t care about our marriage, that I don’t’ care about you?’

‘It’s not about what I think Gabe, it’s about what I know.’ Maggie said.

‘I love you.’

‘What?’

‘I love you. I love you so much Maggie. I want to say I’m sorry, I want to tell you that you are the most important person in the world to me but I know you won’t believe me because I haven’t proven it to you. All I can say is that I love you.’

‘It’s a little later for love Gabe.’

‘Maggie, I’ve loved you since I was five years old. You can’t tell me that you don’t love me too.’

‘I don’t.’

‘Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t love me…and mean it.’ Gabe said. Maggie looked up at him and tried but all that came out were tears.

‘Did I do something wrong to you? Was I a bad girlfriend or a bad wife Gabe? Why don’t you care? All I want is for you to tell me what’s wrong.’ Maggie said as, once again, tears ran down her perfect face.

‘Baby, you haven’t done anything wrong to me.’ Gabe said picking up her hand and holding it despite his hand cuffs.

‘Gabe…don’t lie to me. You’re always late; you were late to our wedding. You forgot our anniversary last night. I sat at the restaurant waiting for you for four hours and you never showed. You never do what you are going to say you’re going to do. And God knows the last time we had sex. We’re married Gabe, we’ve only been married for four and a half months. We shouldn’t be fighting like we do. We should be sharing our bed, having sex all the time, being in love and we’re not. We’re not in love anymore.’

‘Maggie don’t talk like that.’ Gabe pleaded as a tear rolled down his cheek.

‘Gabe, I don’t know what to do anymore.’ Maggie said as she looked down at her diamond wedding band.

‘Don’t give up on us yet. We can make it work.’

‘How do you know?’

‘Because I love you and you love me. We can make it work. It has to work, I’m not ready to be with out you.’

‘Gabe…-‘

‘Maggie, please.’ Gabe said as one of the guards walked into the room.

‘We’re going to need these back,’ he whispered, ‘Ma’am, I think you should give him a chance, he loves you.’

Maggie looked at the man as he walked back out of the room letting the door shut behind him. Gabe got up and walked over to the side of the table where she was sitting, ‘I love you,’ He whispered, ‘I’ll stand with you forever even if you won’t because I love you, my god, I love you so much.’

Maggie stood up and looked into Gabe’s eyes; there was a sparkle a something there that she had been missing. She let her palm rest on his cheek as he wrapped his arms around her waist letting one hand drift down to her butt, ‘We can make this work.’ He whispered. Maggie didn’t say anything she just pressed her lips to his in a kiss that had been waiting to be taken for three months. She parted from the kiss and laid her forehead to rest on his, ‘I missed you so much.’ She said as a tear rolled down her cheek. Gabe quickly swept it away.

‘From now on baby, it’s just you.’ Gabe smiled before pulling her into a kiss that said it all.