Short Story

To Love And Be Loved

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Sadje’s What Do You See #305.
Here’s where the photo prompt took me.

© Peter Thomas @ Unsplash

Helen was a gentle spirit with a pure heart; she had fallen deeply in love with a charming man named Tom. Their romance blossomed sweetly, like the fragrant orange flowers that adorned the landscape around them. They often spent their evenings at a table for two overlooking the ocean.

When Helen and Tom were together, she couldn’t ignore the hollow feeling that he wasn’t as in love with her as she was with him. However, being the eternal optimist, Helen believed Tom was overly reserved, extremely polite and afraid to come on too strong. In time, that would change.

One evening, Tom and Helen sat at their favorite little table set for two, taking in the view as the sun dipped below the horizon. Helen’s heart swelled with love as she gazed at Tom; to her dismay, she noticed a distant look in his eyes. As the evening wore on, Tom became more and more distracted. Finally, he broke the news to Helen that he could not be with her; he was in love with another. His words hurt like a sharp dagger. She felt as empty as the teacup on the table, once full of promise and warmth, now left cold and abandoned.

In the days that followed, Helen’s sorrow stayed with her. The once vibrant flowers now looked pale and old. She had no desire to do anything but sit at the romantic table she shared with Tom and stare at the sea below. One afternoon she decided to clear her head by going for a walk along the shore. When she arrived, she saw Tom talking and laughing with someone …. obviously his new love. Helen quickly darted behind a bush but her curiosity was too great. She had to see who this other woman was.

Helen slowly peeked out from behind the bush and froze in shock. Tom was in a passionate embrace with his lover .… a mysterious and attractive man. Helen quickly ran back up the dunes and didn’t stop until she reached her house. She slumped down on the sofa, too stunned to move. Finally she got up and dragged herself off to bed.

When she awoke the next morning, Helen remembered what she saw on the beach but instead of feeling devastated, it seemed like a huge weight had been lifted off her chest. She realized no matter how much she wanted Tom to fall in love with her, he never would. Both she and Tom had to follow their hearts. They each deserved to love and be loved by the person who brought them the most happiness. Now she knew she could get on with her life.

NAR©2025

This is “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley

What do you see # 305- 8th, September-2025

All text and graphics are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

26 thoughts on “To Love And Be Loved”

  1. Pingback: WDYS # 305- A roundup post – Keep it alive

  3. Interesting story, Nancy! To quote Hamlet: “To thine own self be true”. 🙂

    I understand Helen’s relief that it was a man, not a woman who stole Tom’s affections from her. Not as painful, especially since it seems their relationship was fairly recent.

    I knew a couple who were married for over 30 years, when the husband declared he was gay and left his wife. She was devastated, of course.💔

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    1. That’s got to be a nightmare, discovering secrets about someone you thought you knew so well. I can’t imagine how disconcerting it must be. After so many years, it’s incredibly difficult to get over a revelation like that. It feels like a betrayal. In these cases, no one wins. Thanks for a great comment, Debbie.

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      1. Yes, it was terrible for her and their twin sons. I can’t imagine dealing with something like that! On the upside, he was wealthy and offered her a huge settlement. She eventually married someone else. These were friends of my mother’s back in Germany.

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  6. An interesting story, Nancy. If you are heterosexual and your male partner leaves you for another man, it can force you to re-examine what you thought you knew about your partner and your relationship. Some may feel their ex never truly loved them but was in fact struggling with their sexuality while in the relationship with you.

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    1. Very insightful, Jim. Thanks! Allow me to take a different approach. If you are a heterosexual man and your female partner leaves you for another woman, you may be inclined to invite both into your bed for a threesome. It’s been known to happen and, while not generally advised by marriage counsellors, this openness and time of experimentation can lead to a stronger marriage with emphasis on communication.

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