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"Aww," a little girl coos as they walk through the exhibit.
The Museum of Heroes downtown opened a new exhibit they called 'Love Through the Ages'. There were a lot of love letters between crew members and long lost flings, of heroes and villains and forbidden romances.
There was one particularly notable exhibit with two separate books of letters to one another in different languages. Some of the letters were Italian and others were French. There were some Japanese and English. It didn't seem possible that these two lovers could have talked in so many languages in their lifetime. It didn't seem possible that they could love one another without ever being in the same room, but it was clear they loved one another with every fiber of their being.
It's so warm here. I never expected America to be so hot and the food has so much fat, but it is so good. But all I can imagine, as I'm writing you this letter in the park, is holding you in my arms as we eat soba under a tree and watch the couples around us dancing and running around with their children.
I miss you so much, my dearest Tsu, and I hope you're doing well.
-Your love
There was another letter back. This one written in French.
I wish it was sunny here, but it's cloudy. I miss you too. Things are going well. I saved a little girl today and she looked just like you and I couldn't help, but wonder if that's what you looked like as a kid.
Oh how I would have loved to see that.
France is beautiful, but it's beauty is dimmed by the distance between our souls. I only wish to share this experience with you, my dear.
Maybe someday soon, we'll meet again.
-Your dearest, Tsu
"These letters are so cute," another girl said.
"Yes!" another shouts, to the chagrin of her parents.
"Really?" an older woman asks as she passes the dresses on one of the stands. "I find them to be quite sad, really."
"Why?"
"With all the love they shared with one another, they never actually did get to meet up again," the old lady whispered, staring at the first letter with something akin to sorrow in her eyes. "They never got to share their love with one another."
"Yes they did," a little girl spoke, startling the older lady out of her thoughts.
"How so?"
"Their love was documented in these letters, in the thoughts they shared with one another through all of their travels. You can see the love in the way the words are written and how they never change, even after all the years apart. They were always on the mind of the other and you can clearly see it.
"They were so sure of each other. The thought of their love for one another never wavered a moment. It's the romance of a lifetime."
The girl sounded awed as she traced a page of the book with one of her fingers. "Most people would kill to have a love like that."
The older lady looked back at the letters, tears in her eyes.
"You know what, young lady-"she starts.
"Yes?"
"You're absolutely right. They were very lucky to have one another."
The little girls smiles, so bright it lights up the room and runs towards her parents, waving bye to the old lady who can't help but smile and wave back.
"We really were lucky," she whispers, brushing her fingers across the French letters on the page before her.
With a small, sad smile, she hobbled out of the museum to go visit the grave of her beloved Tsu one last time.