Clipped Wings

In the distance, she hears his voice as it bounces off the tree trunks and faintly finds its way to her ears. He is frantically calling her name. His voice dripping with urgency and desperation. It takes all of her strength to keep moving forward, away from the familiar and into the unknown. She knows that after tonight there is no turning back. A chapter in her life will end and she will have to swim in the currents of discomfort until the next chapter is written. He continues to call her name, hoping that persistence will be his savior and she will come back to him like she has so many times before. In his heart, he knows the truth. This time is different. He has painfully watched her shrinking before his eyes, often cowering in the shadows nursing the wounds of her clipped wings. It was never his intention to make her a prisoner but his love was smothering and eventually she was his obsession instead of his partner. He wanted her all to himself. He believed that their self-contained life was enough for both of them. He suddenly stops in his tracks. For the first time he realizes that in order to save her, he has to let her go. He calls for her one last time, finally extinguishing the last flame of hope that she will return. At that moment, she can sense his defeat. She slows her pace and glances briefly over her shoulder. In the final moments of daylight, she sees his silhouette. He is stoic, his head tilted downward and his eyes resting on the ground. She releases a sigh of silent appreciation. Without realizing it, he has given her his greatest gift. Her freedom.