Alive Again | PG | The Bridges of Madison County
Title: Alive Again
Prompt: Francesca goes to New York City and fates reunite her and Robert on a subway car
Fandom: Robert/Francesca, Bridges of Madison County
Requested by: kitnkabootle
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1890
Disclaimer: Not mine. Wish they were. Please don't sue.
Author's Note: Challenge accepted. Saw this request on twitter and couldn’t help but write it. I’m sort of a sucker for this pairing, and I also fully believe that the souls who are fated to love each other deserve even a few moments together in their lifetime. Enjoy. Let me know what you think.
-
Against Francesca’s better judgment, she leaned back against the grimy-looking seat in which she sat on the subway. Her pulse raced; she’d never been on underground transport before and the very idea was slightly terrifying. She’d also never been to a city as grand or as wild or as alive as New York City. She found herself overcome by the need to sit back, breathe in the seedy air, and acclimatize herself to the new world she’d found herself in. If moving from Italy to Iowa had been a culture shock, she had no idea what to compare this experience to. She could feel the city’s heartbeat pulsing loud and free, vibrating in the air and infusing her with something she hadn’t felt in years. It felt like freedom. It felt like Robert.
Carolyn, on the other hand, sat at the very edge of her seat, clutching the grimy steel pole as she peered in wonder about the subway car. There were people of every size, shape, color, and creed around them, and Francesca could see that her beloved daughter would easily recede into the diverse city population. She would be in her element here. She would thrive in a way that she never could in Iowa.
Richard didn’t like the idea of Carolyn attending New York University, but when Francesca had learned that her daughter had earned enough in scholarships to make attending a possibility, she knew that she would stop at nothing to ensure that Carolyn had her chance. It was the sort of opportunity that Francesca had never gotten, and she would be damned if Carolyn didn’t take advantage of it. And Carolyn, sweet, hopeful, darling Carolyn, who was an extension of Francesca’s blood and bone and life, would have every opportunity that she’d never had.
Francesca smiled wistfully at her child and reached forward, smoothing her hand along the back of Carolyn’s chestnut colored hair. She allowed it for several moments before issuing an annoyed, “Mom!”
Francesca smiled and retracted her hand, returning it to her lap to fiddle with the wooden handles of her purse. She could not forget that Carolyn was a woman now, a woman who needed her space to grow, and that Francesca was simply an over-worried mother who wished more than anything to be living vicariously through her child. She wished that she could feel like she was living at all.
The train slowed before halting completely and Francesca fidgeted with the map, attempting to find their stop. The doors parted and more passengers stepped on, finding their own little niches in the rapidly filling car. Francesca paid them no attention and looked at the dotted lines with careful consideration.
“We still have two more stops to go, Mom,” Carolyn said. She laughed. “Don’t worry. I won’t get us lost.”
Francesca smiled. “I’d end up in Timbuktu without you.”
“Lucky I’m here then, huh?” The girl smiled, her eyes bright with excitement of the future that was within her grasp.
Francesca’s eyes unexpectedly filled with tears. “What am I going to do without my baby at home?”
“Oh Mom…don’t cry now…” Carolyn said, patting her mother’s hand. The older woman could tell that she was impatient with her frequent outbursts of tears. “You’ll get along just fine without me. It’ll be nice for you and dad to finally have the house to yourselves…no more kids fussing about. Think of all that freedom.”
Francesca nearly choked on her response. “Freedom,” she croaked, willing her mind not to venture to him. “Yes.”
Carolyn prattled on for several minutes about orientation and her new roommate and how she hoped to be home for Christmas. The subway slowed once more and the exchange of bodies began, the newcomers grabbing on to every available bar in an effort to maintain balance once the train started moving again. Francesca felt saddened once more by the possibility that had been laid at Carolyn’s feet. What kind of woman was jealous of her own daughter?
“Hey Mom?”
“Hmm?” Francesca asked absentmindedly, watching the lights on the inside of the subway tunnel whip past as the train began to move.
“Isn’t that guy the one who did those covered bridge photos a few years ago? The ones for National Geographic?”
Francesca’s heart stopped. She stared at the smudged, dirty window for a long moment. She knew with absolute certainty that he would be there when she turned to look.
She could never mistake his face, even amidst a crowded subway car. His height gave him an advantage over several of the shorter people before him, allowing his eyes to scan the car and settle upon her as if they’d been magnetically attracted to each other.
“Mom? Is that him?”
“Mmhmm,” Francesca replied quietly. She reminded herself to breathe.
It did not surprise her that he excused himself to the people around him and squeezed through the crowd, passing effortlessly towards their seat.
“Francesca Johnson,” he said matter-of-factly. His grin was so wide that Francesca’s heart ached, wishing more than anything that she could return it in kind.
“Hello, Robert.” Aware of Carolyn’s curious eyes on them, she coughed and said, “It is Robert, isn’t it?”
His smile wavered slightly. “Yes. Robert Kincaid. I’m glad you remember me.”
As if I could ever forget you, Robert. You’re with me always. Her heart began to beat so quickly that she felt ill and wondered momentarily if she might actually faint. She remembered herself and introduced her daughter, who smiled kindly.
“So you’re the guy who made our rinky-dink town famous.”
“I wouldn’t call it rinky-dink,” Robert said with a smile. “Winterset is lovely.” He gave appropriate attention to Carolyn but his eyes shifted back and forth between them. “How have you been?”
“Well,” Francesca croaked, her throat stinging with the tears she was holding back. “I’ve been well. Yourself?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “I can’t complain. Think I might actually get published soon.”
Francesca’s face lit up at the news. “Oh Robert…that’s wonderful! You’re so talented.” She looked at Carolyn and delicately cleared her throat. “We subscribed to the magazine. I’ve, uh, seen a lot of your work. You deserve this.”
“Thank you, Francesca. That’s very kind of you to say.”
The train slowed again and Francesca began to panic. There would only be one more stop before they would lose each other again. She felt as though she were approaching her own grave. Robert began to ask Carolyn about college and while they talked, Francesca watched him. She gazed at the new lines on his face, at bandaid wrapped around his index finger, on the silver chain around his neck that was hidden beneath his gray t-shirt. She could almost make out the shape of her medallion. She wanted more than anything to touch him, to press her hand to his face and come away with the scent of his aftershave on her fingertips. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, tell him that it had always been him and always would be. She wanted to break apart because she knew this chance meeting would never happen again.
Once again the subway began to slow. Carolyn jumped to her feet. “This is us, Mom.”
Francesca nodded and stood, clutching the railing to steady her shaking legs. To her horror, Carolyn extended her hand to him. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Kincaid.”
“Please, call me Robert,” he replied, shaking her hand. “It was a pleasure.” Robert turned to Francesca and held out his hand. “It was especially wonderful to see you again, Francesca.”
She couldn’t touch him. She would fall apart. She would never recover. But her hand released its tight grip from her purse and slipped into Robert’s as if beyond her control, and she felt everything in that moment. Everything was right again and everything was perfect. They were there, together, and they loved each other. He squeezed her hand. “I hope we meet again,” he said, squeezing once more before letting go. At the loss of his touch, something inside of her died.
“As do I. I will look for your book.” She smiled at him, hoping to convey just how much she loved him by the blank expression she had no choice but to give.
He nodded gently and stepped aside as the doors opened, allowing them to pass. Carolyn stepped onto the platform before Francesca and as she swept past Robert, she could smell his cologne. He brushed against her as he sat down in the seat she had previously occupied. That touch, that casual brush, unhinged her completely. Her cheeks were aflame.
She could feel him watching her as the train pulled away from the platform. She could not look, could not watch as he disappeared into the tunnel, traveling further away from her. She felt lost and broken and wondered again if she would faint.
Carolyn grabbed her arm. “You okay, Mom?”
“It’s so hot down here.” She fanned her face.
“Let’s get you some fresh air then.”
Francesca allowed herself to be guided to the exit and once they had reached the fresh air of the street, she took a long, deep breath. She pushed back her tears, deciding to save him until she had deposited Carolyn safely into her dorm. She caught her daughter’s concerned gaze and gave a placating smile. “Much better. Now, which way is the school?”
Carolyn laughed. “You’re hopeless! How’re you and dad going to be able to visit me if you don’t even know which direction you’re going?”
“I know, I know.”
They walked in silence for a few blocks, and Francesca allowed her thoughts to return to Robert. There had been so much she longed to ask. What was he doing in the city? What was his book about? Did he miss her the way she missed him, so much that it hurt to breathe? Would they see each other again?
“Mom?”
“Hmm?”
“I asked you a question.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, darling. I was caught up in the scenery!” she lied, waving her handbag in the direction of the shops and hotdog carts.
Carolyn laughed again. “I asked why you never mentioned meeting him before. He seemed like a nice guy.”
Francesca gathered the courage to lie to her own child. “It wasn’t important, really. He was lost and I showed him how to get to the bridge, that’s all.”
“Well, he certainly remembers you,” Carolyn said playfully, grinning at her mother. “I bet he had a crush on you!”
Francesca’s cheeks flushed with the truth behind her daughter’s implication. “Oh you! What am I going to do with you?”
“What are you going to do without me?” Carolyn asked, pointing ahead at one of the university buildings.
Francesca issued a sigh of relief at the distraction. She could not think of Robert, not yet, not when he was so close. Not when the feel of his hand against hers was so fresh. Not when she was so ready to fall apart.
Instead, Francesca hooked her arm around her daughter’s and said, “It’s time for your life to begin, darling girl. Let’s go live it.” It didn’t matter that Francesca’s life had ended after being alive again for a few short minutes. It was Carolyn’s turn to live enough for the both of them.
---
Prompt: Francesca goes to New York City and fates reunite her and Robert on a subway car
Fandom: Robert/Francesca, Bridges of Madison County
Requested by: kitnkabootle
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1890
Disclaimer: Not mine. Wish they were. Please don't sue.
Author's Note: Challenge accepted. Saw this request on twitter and couldn’t help but write it. I’m sort of a sucker for this pairing, and I also fully believe that the souls who are fated to love each other deserve even a few moments together in their lifetime. Enjoy. Let me know what you think.
-
Against Francesca’s better judgment, she leaned back against the grimy-looking seat in which she sat on the subway. Her pulse raced; she’d never been on underground transport before and the very idea was slightly terrifying. She’d also never been to a city as grand or as wild or as alive as New York City. She found herself overcome by the need to sit back, breathe in the seedy air, and acclimatize herself to the new world she’d found herself in. If moving from Italy to Iowa had been a culture shock, she had no idea what to compare this experience to. She could feel the city’s heartbeat pulsing loud and free, vibrating in the air and infusing her with something she hadn’t felt in years. It felt like freedom. It felt like Robert.
Carolyn, on the other hand, sat at the very edge of her seat, clutching the grimy steel pole as she peered in wonder about the subway car. There were people of every size, shape, color, and creed around them, and Francesca could see that her beloved daughter would easily recede into the diverse city population. She would be in her element here. She would thrive in a way that she never could in Iowa.
Richard didn’t like the idea of Carolyn attending New York University, but when Francesca had learned that her daughter had earned enough in scholarships to make attending a possibility, she knew that she would stop at nothing to ensure that Carolyn had her chance. It was the sort of opportunity that Francesca had never gotten, and she would be damned if Carolyn didn’t take advantage of it. And Carolyn, sweet, hopeful, darling Carolyn, who was an extension of Francesca’s blood and bone and life, would have every opportunity that she’d never had.
Francesca smiled wistfully at her child and reached forward, smoothing her hand along the back of Carolyn’s chestnut colored hair. She allowed it for several moments before issuing an annoyed, “Mom!”
Francesca smiled and retracted her hand, returning it to her lap to fiddle with the wooden handles of her purse. She could not forget that Carolyn was a woman now, a woman who needed her space to grow, and that Francesca was simply an over-worried mother who wished more than anything to be living vicariously through her child. She wished that she could feel like she was living at all.
The train slowed before halting completely and Francesca fidgeted with the map, attempting to find their stop. The doors parted and more passengers stepped on, finding their own little niches in the rapidly filling car. Francesca paid them no attention and looked at the dotted lines with careful consideration.
“We still have two more stops to go, Mom,” Carolyn said. She laughed. “Don’t worry. I won’t get us lost.”
Francesca smiled. “I’d end up in Timbuktu without you.”
“Lucky I’m here then, huh?” The girl smiled, her eyes bright with excitement of the future that was within her grasp.
Francesca’s eyes unexpectedly filled with tears. “What am I going to do without my baby at home?”
“Oh Mom…don’t cry now…” Carolyn said, patting her mother’s hand. The older woman could tell that she was impatient with her frequent outbursts of tears. “You’ll get along just fine without me. It’ll be nice for you and dad to finally have the house to yourselves…no more kids fussing about. Think of all that freedom.”
Francesca nearly choked on her response. “Freedom,” she croaked, willing her mind not to venture to him. “Yes.”
Carolyn prattled on for several minutes about orientation and her new roommate and how she hoped to be home for Christmas. The subway slowed once more and the exchange of bodies began, the newcomers grabbing on to every available bar in an effort to maintain balance once the train started moving again. Francesca felt saddened once more by the possibility that had been laid at Carolyn’s feet. What kind of woman was jealous of her own daughter?
“Hey Mom?”
“Hmm?” Francesca asked absentmindedly, watching the lights on the inside of the subway tunnel whip past as the train began to move.
“Isn’t that guy the one who did those covered bridge photos a few years ago? The ones for National Geographic?”
Francesca’s heart stopped. She stared at the smudged, dirty window for a long moment. She knew with absolute certainty that he would be there when she turned to look.
She could never mistake his face, even amidst a crowded subway car. His height gave him an advantage over several of the shorter people before him, allowing his eyes to scan the car and settle upon her as if they’d been magnetically attracted to each other.
“Mom? Is that him?”
“Mmhmm,” Francesca replied quietly. She reminded herself to breathe.
It did not surprise her that he excused himself to the people around him and squeezed through the crowd, passing effortlessly towards their seat.
“Francesca Johnson,” he said matter-of-factly. His grin was so wide that Francesca’s heart ached, wishing more than anything that she could return it in kind.
“Hello, Robert.” Aware of Carolyn’s curious eyes on them, she coughed and said, “It is Robert, isn’t it?”
His smile wavered slightly. “Yes. Robert Kincaid. I’m glad you remember me.”
As if I could ever forget you, Robert. You’re with me always. Her heart began to beat so quickly that she felt ill and wondered momentarily if she might actually faint. She remembered herself and introduced her daughter, who smiled kindly.
“So you’re the guy who made our rinky-dink town famous.”
“I wouldn’t call it rinky-dink,” Robert said with a smile. “Winterset is lovely.” He gave appropriate attention to Carolyn but his eyes shifted back and forth between them. “How have you been?”
“Well,” Francesca croaked, her throat stinging with the tears she was holding back. “I’ve been well. Yourself?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “I can’t complain. Think I might actually get published soon.”
Francesca’s face lit up at the news. “Oh Robert…that’s wonderful! You’re so talented.” She looked at Carolyn and delicately cleared her throat. “We subscribed to the magazine. I’ve, uh, seen a lot of your work. You deserve this.”
“Thank you, Francesca. That’s very kind of you to say.”
The train slowed again and Francesca began to panic. There would only be one more stop before they would lose each other again. She felt as though she were approaching her own grave. Robert began to ask Carolyn about college and while they talked, Francesca watched him. She gazed at the new lines on his face, at bandaid wrapped around his index finger, on the silver chain around his neck that was hidden beneath his gray t-shirt. She could almost make out the shape of her medallion. She wanted more than anything to touch him, to press her hand to his face and come away with the scent of his aftershave on her fingertips. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, tell him that it had always been him and always would be. She wanted to break apart because she knew this chance meeting would never happen again.
Once again the subway began to slow. Carolyn jumped to her feet. “This is us, Mom.”
Francesca nodded and stood, clutching the railing to steady her shaking legs. To her horror, Carolyn extended her hand to him. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Kincaid.”
“Please, call me Robert,” he replied, shaking her hand. “It was a pleasure.” Robert turned to Francesca and held out his hand. “It was especially wonderful to see you again, Francesca.”
She couldn’t touch him. She would fall apart. She would never recover. But her hand released its tight grip from her purse and slipped into Robert’s as if beyond her control, and she felt everything in that moment. Everything was right again and everything was perfect. They were there, together, and they loved each other. He squeezed her hand. “I hope we meet again,” he said, squeezing once more before letting go. At the loss of his touch, something inside of her died.
“As do I. I will look for your book.” She smiled at him, hoping to convey just how much she loved him by the blank expression she had no choice but to give.
He nodded gently and stepped aside as the doors opened, allowing them to pass. Carolyn stepped onto the platform before Francesca and as she swept past Robert, she could smell his cologne. He brushed against her as he sat down in the seat she had previously occupied. That touch, that casual brush, unhinged her completely. Her cheeks were aflame.
She could feel him watching her as the train pulled away from the platform. She could not look, could not watch as he disappeared into the tunnel, traveling further away from her. She felt lost and broken and wondered again if she would faint.
Carolyn grabbed her arm. “You okay, Mom?”
“It’s so hot down here.” She fanned her face.
“Let’s get you some fresh air then.”
Francesca allowed herself to be guided to the exit and once they had reached the fresh air of the street, she took a long, deep breath. She pushed back her tears, deciding to save him until she had deposited Carolyn safely into her dorm. She caught her daughter’s concerned gaze and gave a placating smile. “Much better. Now, which way is the school?”
Carolyn laughed. “You’re hopeless! How’re you and dad going to be able to visit me if you don’t even know which direction you’re going?”
“I know, I know.”
They walked in silence for a few blocks, and Francesca allowed her thoughts to return to Robert. There had been so much she longed to ask. What was he doing in the city? What was his book about? Did he miss her the way she missed him, so much that it hurt to breathe? Would they see each other again?
“Mom?”
“Hmm?”
“I asked you a question.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, darling. I was caught up in the scenery!” she lied, waving her handbag in the direction of the shops and hotdog carts.
Carolyn laughed again. “I asked why you never mentioned meeting him before. He seemed like a nice guy.”
Francesca gathered the courage to lie to her own child. “It wasn’t important, really. He was lost and I showed him how to get to the bridge, that’s all.”
“Well, he certainly remembers you,” Carolyn said playfully, grinning at her mother. “I bet he had a crush on you!”
Francesca’s cheeks flushed with the truth behind her daughter’s implication. “Oh you! What am I going to do with you?”
“What are you going to do without me?” Carolyn asked, pointing ahead at one of the university buildings.
Francesca issued a sigh of relief at the distraction. She could not think of Robert, not yet, not when he was so close. Not when the feel of his hand against hers was so fresh. Not when she was so ready to fall apart.
Instead, Francesca hooked her arm around her daughter’s and said, “It’s time for your life to begin, darling girl. Let’s go live it.” It didn’t matter that Francesca’s life had ended after being alive again for a few short minutes. It was Carolyn’s turn to live enough for the both of them.
---