The lyrics are from "I Will Always Love You", which was written and performed by Dolly Parton. However, since I'm not familiar with Dolly's version, this is based on Whitney Houston's version, from The Bodyguard soundtrack. Enjoy!
The warm Florida sun slowly dips beneath the horizon. The comfortable breezes flowing from the Atlantic Ocean cool the populace of Miami, relieving them of the intense humidity that plagues this city even in the wintertime. Kimberly Anne Hart is sitting in the apartment she shares with her roommate and fellow Pan-Global gymnast Renee Ryan. Presently, Renee is out with a few other gymnasts for an evening of fun, since Coach Gunther Schmidt has finally given them some time off. Kimberly declined the invitation, though, and now she sits in the silent room at her oak desk. Her eyes are red from crying, and right now, Kimberly wishes only for some rest. She'd spent the past few hours thinking about a very important subject, and she has finally come to a conclusion.
If I should stay
I would only be in your way.
So I'll go, but I know
I'll think of you every step of the way...
Kimberly had been dating a young man named Tommy Oliver for over a year. Since the day they first kissed, she has lived on Cloud Nine. But this past summer, Kimberly made an important decision--to move to Florida indefinitely, and study under a world-famous coach so as to compete in the world class Pan Global Games. This decision was one of the most difficult she has ever made. The only one more difficult is the decision she made only minutes ago, when she decided to end her long-time relationship with Tommy. It took days of soul-searching for her to make this momentous decision. After all, a love such as they shared is hard to come by. But, her mind is made up. So, she's putting her thoughts to paper now, just in case she loses her nerve in the morning.
And I will always love you.
I will always love you.
You, my darling you...
Mmm, hmm.
Kim knows that in her heart of hearts, she will always love Tommy deeply. She always felt that their relationship was so pure, so genuine, that it could never fade. But, Kimberly now realizes that such a thought is really naive. After all, they are both young-- too young to know what they really want from life. Too young to make a real commitment. They've only lived a fraction of their lives. Although they had a terrific few years together, its time to move on.
Bittersweet memories,
That is all I'm taking with me.
So goodbye,
Please don't cry...
We both know I'm not what you need.
And I will always love you
I will always love you.
Kimberly takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She crumpled the sheet of soft pink paper that she was writing on, now stained with salty tears, and tossed it into her wastebasket. She wipes the stream of tears with the back of her hand, pulls out another sheet, and once again tries to pen the letter that will hurt the man she truly loves deeper than any wound he could ever receive in battle as the Red Ranger. She knows Tommy still loves her. But, she doesn't know how long that will last. How long will it be before he grows tired of the long-distance relationship? How long will it be before he feels imprisioned by their relationship. In each incarnation as a Power Ranger, Tommy has wielded the power of a wild, untamed, free animal. The mythical Dragon, the agile White Tiger, the noble Falcon, and finally the magical Phoenix. Each animal reflected a different part of Tommy's soul. But there was one constant-- each animal was free. They each had a necessity to be free. They couldn't be held down.
"Tommy is a free spirit," she said aloud, stopping her writing to dry the tears from her eyes, "That is how he always was, and its just not fair for me to expect him to wait for me to return to Angel Grove. If I ever do return. He's a young, handsome, sensitive man, who has stolen the hearts of tons of girls. He'll find someone else. Someone prettier, maybe. Or at least someone who will be there for him, spend time with him, and in turn be protected and loved by him. Tommy Oliver has survived so much since I've known him; he can easily survive this breakup, and move on. To put it simply, its best for everyone."
I hope life treats you kind,
And I hope you have all you've dreamed of.
And I wish you joy, and happiness.
But above all this, I wish you love.
In her letter, Kimberly states that she has found someone new. This is only partially true. Kimberly has indeed met a young man, who is dashing, handsome, caring, considerate, charming, and warm. Trevor Monroe, a member of Coach Schmidt's crew, really is a wonderful young man, and Renee has repeatedly pointed out that he seemed to be interested in Kimberly. At first, Kimberly refused to believe Renee. She and Trevor were just friends, and nothing more. But, as time passed, she found herself clinging to Trevor more and more, since all her friends were so distant. Once Aisha moved to Africa, Kimberly lost one of her closest friends and confidants. And with the new Zeo Rangers, Tommy was busier than ever before, protecting Earth from the Machine Empire, as well as Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa. The two slowly lost contact, and Kimberly, being a person dependent on social interaction, turned to Trevor for company. She soon realized how much Trevor meant to her. The mutual attraction grew into love, but its not the same love she felt for Tommy. It didn't seem as natural, as meant to be. But, Kimberly was ready to try to forge a relationship with Trevor Monroe. He was a very likeable guy, with qualities very similar to Tommy's. But Kim didn't dump Tommy because of Trevor. Kimberly would've eventually broken up with her long-time boyfriend, whether or not Trevor existed. Long distance relationships just do not work, she reasoned to herself as she forced her hand to stop shaking as it wrote, Someone always ends up getting hurt. Hopefully, this will be a clean break. Tommy will find someone else, and I'll have Trevor. Neither one of us will have to be alone. Maybe we can even be friends.
And I will always love you.
I... I will always love you,
I... I will always love you,
I... I will always love you...
I will always love you
Kimberly sighed deeply as she signed the letter. She folded it carefully, and slid it into the envelope painfully slowly. Once the letter was addressed, Kimberly picked it up, and stood up, preparing to walk over to the mailbox and send the letter that evening. But she soon realized she no longer had the strength. She collapsed on her bed and buried her face in her arms, crying miserably. She didn't utter a sound, though. She didn't want anyone to hear her, or see her in this state. Kimberly was known for always being bright and cheery. She was still sobbing when she heard a key turn in the lock. Kim sat up immediately, and tried to compose herself as her roommate stepped into the apartment. But it didn't take long for Renee to see how much pain Kimberly was in.
"Jeez, Girl," said Renee, closing the door behind her, "What happened to you?"
"Nothing," Kim sniffled, "I... I just decided to... break up with Tommy."
Renee stared at Kimberly in surprise. She then sat beside Kimberly and wrapped the trembling girl in a warm hug.
"Are you sure?" Renee asked, "I mean, I thought you still loved him..."
"Tommy will always own a piece of my heart," Kim whispered, "He is such a terrific person. He was the love of my youth. He was the big, protective brother I lost when Jason left to Switzerland. My knight in shining armor, and even the ear that listened as I poured out my soul."
"But if you still love him, why are you doing this to yourself?!"
"Its because I love him so much. I even love him enough... to let him go."
Renee nodded in understanding, and stood up. She bent over and picked up the envelope now lying on the floor. She placed it on Kim's desk.
"Uh, 'Ne?" called Kim, sitting up, "Could you do me a favor?"
"Anything."
"Mail that letter. I... I don't think I'll be able to bring myself to do it. Writing the damn thing was hard enough."
"And you're sure about this?" said Renee, walking to the door with the letter, "I mean, once its gone, you won't be able to take your words back. You won't be able to go back to him, and pretend this never happened."
"I know," Kim sighed, "That's why I want it out of my sight, before I change my mind."
Renee left silently, and Kimberly lied down on her back. She folded her hands, and absently stared at the ceiling. The river of tears had dried, and the glimmer of light that always illuminated her doe-brown eyes seemed to dim.
I, I will always, love you...
Darling I love you
I'll always, I'll always
Love,
You...
The End
