Her favourite one came in a stunning bottle tied at the neck with a silver ribbon. The liquid shone brightly inside as the colour of dusky rose swished around the transparent glass enclosure.

Its fragrance was tantalising and deep, filled with feminine mystique and allure. Spicy and intense with just a hint of floral musk. She loved the way it lingered on her skin and in her mind as she walked through the hours of the day. And late at night, the sheets on her bed seemed to borrow from its reserves.

The day he told her of his travel plans, she was filled with excitement at the thought of being able to replenish her favourite perfume. She had never asked him for anything earlier but this time, she would. Another bottle of her favourite perfume, just enough to last the remainder of her limited time. 

But somewhere between her fragrant dreams and the mysteries of the human mind, the universe seemed to have other plans... The jigsaw puzzle that was nearing completion suddenly faced a tectonic shift and its pieces were thrown asunder. 

At the end of it, all she could hear were the echoes of his voice from the other end of the line - anytime soon... not anytime soon... we're not meeting anytime soon... no, I don't see us meeting anytime soon... no...

She couldn't remember what she said back, but she definitely left the bottle of perfume out of the conversation. He didn't need to know of her desires if he wasn't going to be around. 

The voices in her head then told her to prepare herself for the inevitable... Which is what? She asked. 

There will be no arms to run into... to fit into... to feel safe within the confines of... there will be no chest to bury your head into and no rhythmic heartbeat to listen to... no perfect you-shaped embrace to sink into... there will also be no perfume to linger on his skin and his mind long after you leave. 

All could she think of was the irony - she had never used perfume for the better part of her life this far. It was a recent entry into her scheme of things, and when she finally did she fell in love with this one in particular. She couldn't explain why nor could she figure it out in the first place. Just like she couldn't figure out why she had fixated on him in the first place and not anyone else. 

By the end of it, all she could do was chuckle to herself... If only tears were fragrant... This bottle would never run out then...