He saw her from the bottom of the stairs before she saw him. She had long auburn curls and a sweet round face. Her eyes were an unusual blue-green and, when she looked at him, his thoughts melted.

As soon as she saw him she smiled and waved. He smiled back but, as soon as she passed, it disappeared. She was forbidden. She was the type of girl he could get crazy about. He would love her so much it would hurt, and it would hurt so much more when she broke his heart. That was always how relationships were for him.

She was driving her old Chevy Malibu home from the Mother and Newborn Center she worked at. She was a midwife's nurse and she loved every minute of her job. There was also a man that she had had her eyes on for a while.

His hair was pitch black and messy. His face was long and oval, and his eyes were a warm light green. Every time she saw him she would smile and wave and he would smile back.

She arrived home, put her bag on the couch, and sat down. It had been an incredibly long day and she fell asleep right where she sat. She was so exhausted that she didn't even dream.

He was lying in his warm bed with his golden retriever, Benny. Thoughts of her floated through his mind as he tried to fall asleep. His attempts to push them away failed. When he finally drifted she haunted all of his dreams. Every person in his dreams had her eyes and every woman had her face.

In his last dream he was standing with her by a river. She leaned over and kissed him. He turned and left her, saying that he couldn't love her. He went home and thought about everything. He finally came to the decision that he would try things with her. He called her and asked if she'd meet him at the river. When he arrived he saw her sitting by the water's edge. He went up beside her and sat down. He looked at her and she looked at him. Her face was pale and emotionless.

"I'm sorry about last night." he started, "I'd really like to start over and try things again if that's okay with you."

She stared at him with the same emotionless look as before.

"I can't." she said darkly.

"Why not?"

"My heart, it's gone."

"What?"

"I threw it in the river last night. I don't think I'll be wanting it anymore."