A nostalgic voice….a desperate plea. Cherished light and warmth.

I am pressed against someone very special to me, so close that there is no space between us. We are bound to one another. Like an infant cradled at its mother’s breast.

Abruptly my eyes open.

Theres the ceiling.

I am in my room. It’s morning.

I am alone.

I have been dreaming. I sit up in bed.

Every so often when I wake up in the morning, for some reason, I am crying…………and I can never remember what I was dreaming about.

Before I know it, just like always, as I gaze out over those streets……….

I am……..

………looking for someone. Just one person.

i am……

The day started, with a sense of something I can’t figure out. It takes me to the past, like I am asked to do something that was left in between, but I don’t know what.

I brush off the feeling and walk to school. The first drop of snow fell on my shoulders. My mom always said- 𝐀 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭.

I intertwine my hands together and pray in my mind- God, I…..don’t even know what to ask you……..maybe I want that same happiness I had with James…………I don’t know how….and also I want to know about that dream, cuz everytime I wake up that dream disappears like it never existed.

While I was praying, I heard someone calling my name- Ella!! Ella! Goddamn Mannered girl!!!!!

I look behind me and see my friend- Blake. She has been my friend since quite a long time and also if you are wondering who is James, then maybe I think you all deserve to know the story of me and James.

A love blossoming like cherry blossoms and fresh grass, we thought we were meant to be together forever.

When one day, he met my older sister- Lila.

From that day, he changed, came to my house every day, not to meet me but Lila. It was like he got attracted to her, like falling in love at first sight, but I never knew Lila would trick him when I saw them sleeping together, clothes on the floor scattered like a decorative design on the floor and they were on the bed……laughing.

I wanted to scream at that exact moment, to rip them off but I held myself……I walked up to them and slapped him. I didn’t say for a long moment after slapping him.

I didn’t say a word for what felt like forever after slapping him. The room had fallen silent. Even the laughter that had echoed only seconds ago had disappeared as though it had never existed.

James slowly touched his cheek, staring at me with wide eyes. There wasn’t anger in them. There wasn’t guilt either.

Only surprise.

Lila, however, looked completely unfazed. She casually picked up the blanket and wrapped it around herself before looking at me with the same expression she always wore whenever she stole something that belonged to me.

A smile.Not a warm one.The kind that quietly declared victory without saying a single word.

You should’ve knocked-she said, almost lazily.I laughed.It wasn’t because anything was funny.

It was because I realized I had been the only fool in this room.

I should’ve- I replied softly- Then maybe I wouldn’t have wasted two years believing either of you.James finally stepped toward me.

Ella…listen to me.

No.

He froze.

I’ve listened enough.

Every promise he had whispered beneath spring skies…Every text that made me smile for no reason…Every plan we had made about the future…They all shattered inside my head at once.I looked around my own room.The photographs on the shelf.The birthday gift he had given me.The bracelet I still wore because he had tied it around my wrist himself.None of it meant anything anymore.I slowly took the bracelet off.James noticed.His expression changed.

Ella…please don’t.

I placed it on the table beside the door.

You don’t get to ask me for anything anymore.

For the first time, Lila’s smile disappeared.Perhaps she had expected tears.Perhaps she had expected me to beg.Instead, I simply walked away.Some heartbreaks are too deep for screaming.Silence hurts much more.That evening, I packed every memory of him into a cardboard box.Letters.Movie tickets.Tiny souvenirs.Even the pressed cherry blossom he had once tucked inside my notebook because he said it reminded him of me.I closed the box before I could change my mind.Mom found me carrying it downstairs.She didn’t ask questions.She only placed one hand on my shoulder.Sometimes parents know the answer before their children say a single word.

Some people-she whispered-are lessons disguised as forever. I didn’t reply.I wasn’t ready to believe her.

The next morning, the world continued as though nothing had happened.People laughedCars passed by.Birds sang.But it felt strange.How could the world remain exactly the same…When mine had ended overnight?Weeks passed.James stopped trying to explain.Lila acted as though none of it had mattered.

Eventually, everyone moved on.Everyone except me.That was two years ago.Now, every morning begins with that same dream I can never remember.The same tears I can never explain.The same unbearable feeling that someone is missing from my life.Not James.Never James.

Someone else.Someone whose face disappears the moment I open my eyes.And somehow…No matter how many times I tell myself it’s only a dream…My heart refuses to believe it.

Now back to my day…..Blake kept shaking her hand over my face…….trying to bring me back to the real world. I brush her hand off and glare at her and she smiled and said- Now there is that glare, I was missing.

Blake was the only one who stayed when everything went wrong and I did the same for her. We were inseparable, she knew about my dreams and kept nudging me about that Japanese movie- 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞

I laughed it out…..and said to her- then maybe hope for me to get a handsome new boyfriend. We both laughed loud…as we walked to school, arms clutched together.

Suddenly….a helicopter…passed over us….we stared at it…thinking the captain must be so brave, flying it while it’s snowing….but the snow was bare enough to cause a chaos. I stared at it….something in my heart flips and I noticed Blake smirking at me…I give her a gentle push and walked ahead of her…..but something in my mind made me think that maybe this helicopter might be connected to my dream somehow.

High above the city, where the snow looked like tiny white stars drifting across the earth, a helicopter sliced through the cold morning sky.

Evan rested one hand against the window, watching the streets disappear beneath layers of white. From up there, everyone looked the same, tiny figures rushing toward another ordinary day.Ordinary.That word had long lost its meaning.

He hadn’t slept the previous night.Not because of work.Not because of the weather.But because of the dream.Again.

A familiar warmth. A voice calling his name. Arms wrapped around him so tightly that he could almost believe they belonged to someone he loved.And then…Nothing.He always woke before he could see her face.Every single time.The strange part wasn’t the dream.It was the loneliness that followed.

As though someone had been taken away from him long before he ever had the chance to meet them.

Evan.

His thoughts snapped apart.His co-pilot glanced over, one eyebrow raised-You’ve been staring out that window for ten minutes.

Evan let out a quiet breath and looked ahead again-I know.

You had that dream again, didn’t you?For a moment, he didn’t answer.Then, almost too quietly to hear, he replied-…Yeah.

Outside, the helicopter continued its path across the snowy sky.Neither of them noticed the girl standing on the street below.Nor did they know that, for the briefest second, two strangers looked toward the same sky…Both carrying memories that didn’t belong to this life.

…

Neither of us knew that, somewhere beneath the falling snow, another person had awakened with the same emptiness in their heart.The distance between us was only a few thousand feet.Yet it felt like an entire lifetime.

⸻

Little did I know…The helicopter I had been staring at for so long carried someone whose heart was just as restless as mine.Of course, I didn’t know that then.

To me, it was just another helicopter disappearing into the pale winter sky.I sighed and hurried after Blake before she could complain that I was daydreaming again.

You’re walking slower than a turtle today-she groaned, folding her arms.

Oh, be quiet-I muttered, catching up beside her-You complain more than my mom.

She gasped dramatically and placed a hand over her chest-That is the greatest insult you’ve ever thrown at me.

I couldn’t help laughing.For the first time that morning, the heaviness in my chest eased just a little.Maybe Mom was right.Maybe life really did keep moving, no matter how badly you wanted it to stop.

The school gates came into view, crowded with students trying to escape the cold. Voices mixed together, shoes crunched over the thin layer of snow, and someone nearby was already complaining about an upcoming assignment.Just another ordinary day.Or at least…

That’s what I thought.

A few months passed after that.Life became quieter.Not happier.Just…quieter.

The dreams never stopped. Every morning I still woke up with the same tears, the same emptiness, and the same feeling that someone, somewhere, was waiting for me.

Then, one evening, Dad suddenly called me into the living room-Ella.

I looked up from my book-Hm?

He folded his hands together and looked unusually serious-I’ve decided to hire a bodyguard for you.

I blinked.

…A what?

A bodyguard.

I stared at him for a few seconds before laughing.He wasn’t laughing.

Dad, are you serious?

Completely.

But why?

He let out a slow sigh-Because of that incident at school a few weeks ago.

I immediately groaned-Oh, come on…

Let’s just say…it was one of those incidents I would rather erase from my memory forever.And I think all of you are better off not knowing about it either.

I’ll be fine-I protested.

I know you will-Dad replied-But knowing isn’t enough anymore.His voice carried a firmness I had learned not to argue with.The conversation ended there.No matter how much I complained…His decision had already been made.

The next morning, I walked downstairs expecting another ordinary breakfast.Instead…Someone was already standing in the living room.

Tall.Ridiculously tall.

He wore a neatly pressed black coat, though a few strands of messy dark hair stubbornly fell over his forehead as if they refused to listen to anyone.For some reason…It suited him.

There was something strangely calm about him.He wasn’t trying to look intimidating.Yet the moment he stood there, the entire room felt quieter.Like he carried confidence so naturally that he didn’t need to prove it.

Dad walked over with a smile.

There you are.

The man turned toward him.The two of them shook hands.Then Dad unexpectedly pulled him into a brief hug.

Thank you for accepting.

It’s no trouble, sir-he answered.

The moment he spoke…My thoughts froze.That voice.Soft.Gentle.Warm enough to make every other sound in the room disappear.Even James had never spoken with that kind of calm.Where…Where had I heard it before?I searched my memories over and over again.Nothing.Yet my heart insisted otherwise.Dad suddenly looked in my direction.

Ella.

I looked up.

This is Evan Brooks.

Evan finally turned to face me completely.For a second…

Neither of us said anything.His eyes lingered on mine just a fraction longer than they probably should have.Almost as if…He was trying to remember something too.

It’s nice to meet you-he said quietly.

My mind was too busy trying to place that familiar voice to notice that he had already held out his hand.Only after he cleared his throat did reality return.

O-Oh…

Heat rushed to my face.

Sorry.

I quickly reached forward and shook his hand.The instant our hands touched…A strange warmth spread through my fingertips.Not painful.Not frightening.Just…Familiar.My heart skipped a beat.For reasons I couldn’t explain…It felt as though I had finally found something…That I didn’t even know I had been searching for.

I pulled my hand back almost immediately.It simply felt…warm.As if my hand had remembered his before my mind ever could.I quietly rubbed my fingertips together, pretending nothing had happened.

Maybe all those strange dreams had finally started affecting my brain.

Dad clapped his hands together, completely unaware of the silent confusion between us-Well then-he said cheerfully-I hope the two of you get along.

I forced an awkward smile.Evan gave a small nod.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.It was barely there.But somehow…It suited him.

Dad glanced at the clock hanging above the dining room entrance-Ella, you’ll be late.

I looked up-What? Already?

I grabbed my bag from the couch, nearly tripping over my own shoes in the process-Great…perfect…this is exactly how I wanted my morning to start.

A few minutes later, I found myself sitting in the passenger seat of a black SUV that smelled faintly of coffee and pine.

The heater hummed softly as snowflakes melted against the windshield.

Neither of us spoke.The silence wasn’t uncomfortable.

Every few seconds I caught myself stealing a glance at him.His attention never left the road.

One hand rested lightly on the steering wheel while the other shifted gears with practiced ease.

His expression remained calm.

You’ve looked at me six times.

I nearly jumped.

W-What?

The window reflects everything.

My cheeks immediately warmed.

I wasn’t staring.

His answer was so calm that I couldn’t even tell whether he was teasing me.

You’re annoying.

I’ve been told worse.

When the school building finally came into view.

Thanks for the ride.

You’re welcome.

I stepped out into the cold morning air.Before I could close the door, his quiet voice stopped me.

Ella.

I turned around.

Yes?

For a brief moment, he simply looked at me.

Then he shook his head ever so slightly.

Have a good day.

You too.

Halfway across the courtyard, I couldn’t help turning around one last time.The black SUV was still parked where I’d left it.

It felt as though fate had quietly begun weaving our lives together long before we ever learned each other’s names.

Continued……..

Some people enter your life with a knock on the door. Others arrive so quietly that your heart recognizes them before your eyes ever do.

When Evan Brooks walked into my house that morning, I thought he was nothing more than another stranger my dad had hired.A bodyguard.A responsibility.

Someone who would stand a few steps behind me, remind me to be careful, and disappear from my life once his job was over.If only I had known…Some strangers aren’t strangers at all.

The ride to school that morning lingered in my mind for the rest of the day.His voice.His eyes.Even the strange warmth that spread through my hand when we shook hands.It all felt painfully familiar.

Yet no matter how hard I searched my memories, I couldn’t remember ever meeting him before.

You’ve been smiling at your notebook for five minutes-Blake’s voice pulled me back to reality.

I wasn’t smiling.

She leaned over my desk dramatically-Oh, really? Then explain this.She poked my cheek.

I immediately brushed her hand away-Stop doing that.

She narrowed her eyes-Ella…

What?

Who’s Evan?

I blinked.

What makes you think there’s an Evan?

She slowly crossed her arms-The fact that you said his name in your sleep during history class.

I WHAT?

Half the classroom turned to look at me.My face burned with embarrassment-I absolutely did not.

You absolutely did.

I dropped my forehead onto the desk.

Please tell me nobody heard.

Our teacher did.

I slowly lifted my head.

And?

He thought Evan was the answer to Question Three.

I stared at her for a second.Then we both burst into laughter.For the first time in what felt like forever…I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt.Maybe having a bodyguard wasn’t going to be as terrible as I had imagined.Or maybe…It wasn’t the bodyguard.Maybe it was simply Evan.I didn’t know it then…But somewhere else in the city…Someone was thinking about me just as much.

Days slipped by quietly.Winter slowly settled over the city, covering rooftops and empty streets with a blanket of white. Somehow, without either of us noticing, having Evan around became part of my everyday life.

At first, his presence felt awkward.Everywhere I went, he followed a few steps behind me. I complained almost every single day, insisting that I didn’t need someone watching over me like a child.

He never argued.He simply smiled faintly and continued walking beside me.Eventually…I stopped asking him to leave.It became strangely comforting knowing he was there.

Morning rides to school turned into our unspoken routine. Sometimes neither of us spoke for the entire journey, yet the silence never felt empty.

Some silences are louder than conversation Some people make you feel understood without saying a single word.Evan was one of them.

Every afternoon he would be waiting outside the school gates before classes ended, standing beside the same black SUV with his hands tucked into his coat pockets. No matter how crowded the place became, my eyes somehow found him first.I hated admitting it…

But I had started looking for him before he looked for me.There were days when I caught him glancing toward my bedroom window while waiting outside before we left for school.Not impatiently.Not intrusively.

Simply making sure I was awake.The moment he saw the curtains move, he would quietly look away as though he had never been looking in the first place.For some reason…That tiny gesture made me smile every single time.

Little by little, the walls around my heart began to crack.Without realizing it, I started telling him things I had never planned to tell anyone again.About James. About Lila.About the dreams that disappeared every morning before I could remember them.

He never interrupted.He never judged.He only listened.And somehow…That was enough.In return, I learned pieces of Evan too.He wasn’t just my bodyguard.

He was a professional helicopter pilot who had temporarily stepped away from flying to accept my father’s request.When I asked him why…

He stayed quiet for a long time before answering-I don’t know.

His eyes drifted toward the snowy sky-When your father showed me your photograph…I felt like I already knew you.

Those words stayed with me long after the conversation ended.Because…I felt exactly the same.

From that day onward…Everything changed so quietly that neither of us noticed it happening.The mornings no longer felt lonely.

Without realizing it, I had started waiting for the sound of his car pulling into the driveway.Somehow…It had become the beginning of every good day.

The first thing I would see every morning was Evan standing beside the car, one hand tucked inside his coat pocket while snowflakes settled carelessly in his messy hair.

He never complained about the cold.He never complained about waiting.He simply smiled the moment I walked outside.And for some reason…

That smile always felt like home.Days turned into weeks.Weeks quietly became months.

The awkwardness between us slowly disappeared, replaced by something neither of us dared to name.He learned that I couldn’t survive a single morning without hot chocolate.

I learned that he always drank black coffee, even though he secretly hated how bitter it tasted.He learned that whenever I was nervous, I twisted the ring on my finger over and over again.

I learned that whenever he was deep in thought, he absentmindedly ran a hand through his messy hair.Little habits.Tiny details.The kind that only people who truly pay attention ever notice.

Sometimes Blake would purposely disappear halfway through our walk home just so Evan and I would be left alone.

She claimed she was “helping destiny.”I claimed she was insane.She insisted there wasn’t much difference.

One afternoon, as we walked through a park blanketed in snow, I suddenly scooped up a handful of snow and tossed it straight at him.It landed perfectly on his shoulder.He looked down at the melting snow.Then at me.

You did that on purpose.

I tried my best to look innocent.

I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.

Hm-That was all he said.

The next second…

A snowball hit me squarely on the head.

Evan!

A quiet laugh escaped him.

You started it.

Oh, you’re dead.

I chased after him through the park, laughing harder than I had in years.People passing by probably thought we looked ridiculous.I didn’t care.For those few minutes…I wasn’t the girl who had been betrayed.I wasn’t the girl haunted by dreams.I was simply…

Happy.

After what felt like forever, I finally caught up to him and lightly smacked his arm.

Cheater.

I won.

You absolutely did not.

I did.

You have unfairly long legs.

I’ll apologize for my height next time.

I stared at him before bursting into laughter all over again.The strange thing was…He never once complained when I playfully hit his arm or shoved him after losing an argument.Instead…He would simply look at me with that same gentle smile.As though every little moment we shared was something he wanted to remember.

That night…For the first time in years…I didn’t dream of crying.Instead…I dreamt of a pair of warm hands gently holding mine.A familiar voice whispered something I couldn’t understand.

When I woke up…The words had disappeared.But the warmth…The warmth remained.And somehow…I knew Evan had dreamed of something too.

Winter slowly began giving way to spring.The snow melted from the rooftops, flowers timidly bloomed along the sidewalks, and the cold wind that once stung my cheeks became softer.

People say seasons change quietly.I think hearts do too.Without realizing it, Evan had become the person I looked for first every morning and the last person I expected to see before going to sleep.Somewhere along the way…

Responsibility had turned into habit.Habit had turned into comfort.And comfort…Well…Comfort was becoming something much more dangerous.

One afternoon, Dad had to attend an important business meeting in another city, leaving the house unusually quiet.Mom was visiting Grandma for the day.It was just Evan…And me.

The silence wasn’t awkward anymore.He was reading a book in the living room while I sat on the carpet trying—and failing—to finish a puzzle Blake had insisted was “easy.”

It doesn’t fit.

It does.

It doesn’t.

He walked over and crouched beside me.Without saying a word, he picked up the exact same piece I had been struggling with for almost ten minutes, turned it once, and gently placed it into the empty space.It fit perfectly.

I stared at it.Then at him.

I hate you.

A quiet smile appeared.

I know.

No, seriously.

I know.

I nudged his shoulder.

You could’ve helped me earlier.

You looked determined.

I was.

You also looked lost.

I sighed dramatically and let myself fall backward onto the carpet.

The puzzle was bullying me.

He looked down at me.

I don’t think that’s how puzzles work.

You weren’t there.

I was.

Then you witnessed the crime.

For a moment…Neither of us spoke.Then…He laughed.A real laugh.Not the tiny chuckle I had heard before.It was warm.Gentle.And somehow…It made me laugh too.I don’t know why.

Maybe happiness is contagious when it’s shared with the right person.Later that evening, we decided to take a walk.The streets were painted orange by the setting sun.

Children chased one another through the park while couples sat quietly on benches, watching the day come to an end.

You like sunsets-Evan suddenly said.

I looked at him-How do you know that?

You stop talking whenever you see one.

I blinked-You noticed?

I notice a lot of things.

For some reason…Those words stayed with me.He really did notice everything.Not because he had to.Because he wanted to. I smiled to myself before looking back at the sky.

You know…

What?

I used to think I’d never trust anyone again.

He stayed silent, letting me continue.

After James…I built this wall around myself.

I laughed quietly.

It obviously didn’t work.

He looked ahead, his hands tucked into his coat pockets.

Walls don’t always keep people out.

They don’t?

No.

They usually keep the person inside from seeing what’s beyond them-His words settled somewhere deep inside my heart.

I had never thought about it that way.MaybeMaybe I really had been hiding behind those walls.Not from the world.But from myself.Without thinking, I reached for his sleeve.Just for a second.Just enough to stop him walking.

He turned toward me.

Thank you.

What for?

For showing me that not everyone leaves.

He looked at me for what felt like forever.There was something in his eyes I couldn’t quite understand.Something warm.Something familiar.

Then, almost in a whisper, he replied,

I never planned to.

A strange ache spread through my chest.Not painful.Just…Overwhelming.As though my heart had been waiting years to hear those words.

That night, after dinner, I stood in my room brushing my hair.The window was slightly open, letting the cool evening breeze drift inside.

Out of habit, I glanced outside.There he was.Standing near the garden gate.Not watching me.

Just making his usual round before heading inside.Almost as if he sensed someone looking, he lifted his head.

Our eyes met through the window.For a second…Neither of us moved.Then he smiled.It wasn’t a big smile.Just enough to make the corners of his lips lift.I felt my own cheeks warm.

Without thinking, I smiled back.Almost immediately, we both looked away.I laughed quietly to myself.

Why were we acting so shy?We had spent months together.Yet somehow…One smile from him still made my heart race.And for the first time…

I found myself wondering if perhaps…His heart was beginning to race too.

A few days later, Blake somehow managed to convince both of us to attend a charity evening hosted by one of Dad’s business partners.

The venue sparkled beneath hundreds of golden lights. Soft music floated through the hall as people laughed over glasses of sparkling juice and elegant dinners.

I wasn’t used to places like this.Everyone looked so…perfect.I quietly tugged at the sleeves of my dress, suddenly wishing I had stayed home.

You look beautiful.

I turned.

Evan stood beside me, dressed in a black suit that fit him almost unfairly well.His messy hair had been pushed back neatly, though a few stubborn strands had already escaped and fallen across his forehead again.I couldn’t help smiling.

They’re back.

He looked confused.

What?

Your rebellious hair.

For the first time that evening…He laughed-And here I thought you were going to compliment me.

I was.

I only heard criticism.

I complimented your hair.

You called it rebellious.

I happen to like rebellious hair.

For a brief second…Neither of us spoke.Then his ears turned the faintest shade of pink.Mission accomplished.The evening drifted by slowly.

We greeted guests, listened to endless conversations, and smiled far more than either of us wanted to.After nearly two hours, I let out a tired sigh.

I’m escaping.

Evan looked at me knowingly.

The balcony?

How did you know?

You’ve been looking at it for the last fifteen minutes.

The cool night air wrapped around me immediately.The city stretched endlessly beneath the stars, glowing with thousands of tiny lights.

The moon hung peacefully in the sky.A moment later, he stood beside me.

A chilly breeze swept across the balcony.

Without saying anything, Evan slipped off his suit jacket and gently placed it over my shoulders.

I looked up at him.

You’ll get cold.

I’m fine.

You always say that.

And you always worry.

I do not.

A tiny smile appeared on his face.

You do.

I looked away before he could see me smiling.He looked up at the moon for a long moment.

I’ve asked myself that question every day.The answer never changes.

The moment I saw your photograph…it felt like I was looking at someone I’d been searching for.

I’ve been searching too-I whispered.

Our eyes met.The world around us seemed to disappear.

The warmth from that first handshake returned. Only stronger. He stepped a little closer.

So this is what responsibility feels like-I whispered with a nervous laugh.

He lifted his free hand and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. My heart forgot how to beat.

Or perhaps…It simply chose to beat for him instead.Very slowly…As though giving me every chance to move away…He leaned closer.

I didn’t.Instead…I closed the distance between us.Our lips met beneath the silver glow of the moon.

It wasn’t rushed.It wasn’t perfect.It was gentle.Quiet.Almost hesitant.Like two hearts recognizing each other after being apart for far too long.When we finally pulled away, neither of us spoke.

He rested his forehead against mine and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a warm embrace.

I buried my face against his chest.His heartbeat was steady.

Calm.Familiar.He rested his chin lightly against my head.

I love you.

Three simple words.Yet somehow…They felt like the answer to every prayer I had whispered beneath falling snow.

Some loves are remembered before they are ever lived.

To Be Continued Soon….

Some promises are spoken aloud. Others are carried silently across lifetimes, waiting for two souls to remember them.

The night of our first kiss…Nothing around us had changed.The moon still watched over the city.The wind still danced through the trees.

The music inside the ballroom continued as though the world hadn’t just shifted beneath my feet.And yet…

Everything was different.Evan still held me in his arms, as though letting go would somehow allow me to disappear again.

Neither of us spoke.There are moments in life where words become too small for the feelings they are meant to carry.This was one of them.

I slowly looked up at him.His forehead still rested against mine, his eyes searching my face as though he was afraid I might vanish the moment he blinked.

Was that…okay?-he asked softly.

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.Trust Evan to ask for reassurance after kissing me.I nodded, feeling my cheeks grow warm-It was more than okay.

The corners of his lips lifted into that quiet smile I had come to love.Love.The word no longer frightened me.Not when it belonged to him.

He gently brushed his thumb across my hand, still holding it as naturally as if it had always belonged there

I think…-he whispered-I’ve been falling for you since the day we met.

I smiled-I think…I started before that.

He looked at me with quiet confusion.

Before we even met.

Neither of us understood why those words felt so true.We simply knew…They did.

The drive home that night was quieter than any before.Not because we had nothing to say.But because every feeling inside us seemed too precious to put into words.

I rested my head against the window, watching the city lights blur into long streaks of gold and white. Every now and then, I caught Evan stealing a glance at me before returning his eyes to the road.This time…

I didn’t pretend not to notice.Instead, I smiled.He smiled back.That was enough.The following morning, for the first time in years…

I woke up without tears.Sunlight poured through the curtains, filling my room with a soft golden glow.I sat up slowly, almost expecting the familiar ache in my chest to return.It didn’t.

The dream had come again.But this time…I remembered something.Not a face.Not a place.

Just a pair of warm hands wrapped around mine and a quiet voice saying—I’ll find you.

The words echoed in my mind long after I opened my eyes.A gentle knock sounded on my bedroom door.

Ella?

Dad peeked inside-Someone’s been waiting outside for twenty minutes.

I laughed quietly.

He knows I’m awake?

He said your curtains opened five minutes ago.

I covered my face with a pillow.

He notices everything.

Dad chuckled.

I’ve noticed.

When I stepped outside, Evan was leaning against the SUV, sipping his usual black coffee.The moment he saw me, he straightened.

Good morning.

Morning.

He tilted his head slightly.

You look happier today.

I had a different dream.

His expression immediately softened.

You remembered something?

A little.

He opened the passenger door for me before walking around to the driver’s seat.For a while, neither of us spoke.Then, almost at the same time…

I remembered a voice.

I remembered a promise.

We both stopped.Then looked at each other.

You first-I said.

He shook his head-Ladies first.

I smiled-It said… I’ll find you.

His hands tightened ever so slightly around the steering wheel.After a long silence, he whispered-My dream ended with… Wait for me.

A strange shiver ran through me.Different dreams.Different words.Yet somehow…They felt like parts of the same conversation.Neither of us could explain it.Neither of us tried.

Some mysteries don’t need to be solved immediately.They simply ask to be trusted.Days continued to pass, but now they carried a different warmth.

We no longer hid our feelings behind shy smiles.He would gently take my hand whenever we crossed a busy street, and somehow forget to let go long after we had reached the other side.

I never reminded him.Sometimes, while I studied in my room, I would glance out the window and find him sitting beneath the old maple tree in our garden, reading a book or simply looking up at the evening sky.

The moment he noticed me watching, he would close the book and smile.I would smile back.It became our silent ritual.

Blake, of course, noticed everything.One afternoon she looked at us, sighed dramatically, and declared-You two stare at each other so much that I’m starting to feel like the third wheel.

I laughed so hard that I nearly dropped my notebook.Even Evan looked away, hiding a smile.

You didn’t deny it-Blake pointed out.

Neither of us answered.We didn’t have to.Sometimes silence confessed more than words ever could.

As spring slowly painted the world in soft shades of pink and green, my heart no longer searched the empty streets every morning.Without realizing it…

I had already found the person I had been looking for all along.I just didn’t know why it felt as though I had spent more than one lifetime searching for him.

The question stayed with me for days.Why did he feel so familiar?It wasn’t just his voice anymore.It wasn’t the way he smiled or the way he somehow understood my silence without asking questions.

It was something much deeper.Something that refused to be explained.One quiet afternoon, rain began falling unexpectedly.

Classes had ended early, and the campus slowly emptied as students rushed home with umbrellas over their heads.Evan was already waiting outside.

Instead of getting into the car immediately, I walked toward him and held my hand out beneath the rain.Tiny droplets landed against my skin.

I’ve always liked the rain-I murmured.

He stood beside me, saying nothing for a while.Then he quietly admitted-So have I.

I turned toward him-Really?

He nodded-I don’t know why.

I smiled-I do.

Why?

Because rain makes everything honest.

He looked at me with quiet curiosity.

People stop pretending they’re comfortable. They laugh when they get soaked. They run without caring how they look. It feels…real.

For a long moment, he simply watched me.Then, without warning, he stepped into the rain beside me.Within seconds, both of us were soaked.

I couldn’t stop laughing.

You know your job is to keep me safe…

I know.

Not catch a cold with me.

A smile spread across his face.

I’ll take the risk.

The words were simple.Yet something inside my chest fluttered.We finally climbed into the car, dripping water everywhere.

I’m going to get blamed for this-he said, glancing at the soaked seats.

I’ll defend you.

You caused it.

I’ll still defend you.

He chuckled softly-I’ll remember that.

The following weekend, Dad invited Evan to stay for dinner instead of eating alone in the guest house.At first, he politely refused.

Dad insisted.Mom insisted even more.Eventually…He gave up.Watching him sit at our dining table somehow felt…right.Mom smiled every time she noticed us accidentally reaching for the same dish.

Dad pretended not to notice.Blake, however, noticed everything.She texted me halfway through dinner-If you don’t marry that man one day, I’ll personally file a complaint with destiny.

I nearly choked on my juice.

What happened?-Mom asked.

Nothing.

Evan looked at me-Are you alright?

I nodded far too quickly-Perfectly fine.

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.He knew I was lying.After dinner, the lights suddenly went out.The entire house fell into darkness.A neighborhood power outage.Mom sighed from the kitchen.

I’ll find the candles-Dad disappeared toward the storage room.

For a few moments…It was just Evan and me standing in the dark living room.

I can’t see anything-I whispered.

I know.

Where are you?

I’m right here.

Then…Very gently…His fingers found mine.Not suddenly.Not carelessly.Almost as though he was asking permission without speaking.I held on.The darkness no longer felt frightening.It felt peaceful.Outside, thunder rolled across the sky.Rain tapped softly against the windows.

I used to be scared of storms-I admitted.

What changed?

I smiled in the darkness-I don’t think I’m scared anymore.

His thumb lightly brushed over the back of my hand-I’m glad.

When the lights finally returned…Neither of us had realized we were still holding hands.Our eyes met.Neither of us moved.Then, almost at the same time…We laughed.Not because anything was funny.

But because happiness had quietly become effortless.That night, after everyone had gone to sleep, I stood by my bedroom window.The rain had stopped.The clouds drifted away, revealing a sky full of stars.

Across the garden, Evan happened to look up at the exact same moment.Our eyes met through the distance.No words.No gestures.Just two people smiling beneath the same sky.

And somewhere deep inside my heart…The strange emptiness I had carried for so many years grew smaller.Almost as if destiny itself was gently whispering…

You’re finally where you were always meant to be.The weeks that followed became the happiest days I could remember.Not because something extraordinary happened every day.

But because the ordinary moments had quietly become extraordinary.One Saturday morning, Evan offered to teach me how to drive in an empty parking lot outside the city.

I don’t trust myself-I admitted, gripping the steering wheel.

I do-he answered.

You’ve never seen me drive.

I’ve seen you face worse things.

His confidence in me felt stronger than my confidence in myself.The first five minutes were a disaster.I pressed the brake too hard.Forgot the indicator.Nearly frightened a family of pigeons into another country.By the end of it, I had buried my face in the steering wheel-I officially resign.

Evan folded his arms.

You’ve been driving for eleven minutes.

And I’ve already endangered civilization.

A quiet laugh escaped him.

You’ll improve.

You always say that.

Because it’s true.

I looked at him suspiciously-Do you ever lose patience?

He thought for a moment-Not with you.

Those four words stayed in my mind for the rest of the day.A month later, spring had completely taken over the city.

Cherry blossoms lined the streets, their pale pink petals dancing in the breeze.Blake insisted we spend the afternoon at the annual spring festival.

The entire place was filled with music, lanterns, and rows of tiny stalls selling handmade crafts and sweets.For a little while, it felt as though life had forgotten sadness.Blake disappeared almost immediately after arriving.

I’ll be back-she announced.

Where are you going?

To stop interrupting your love story.

Before I could answer…She was already gone.I sighed-She’s impossible.

Evan smiled-I think she’s very determined.

That’s a nicer way of saying impossible.

We wandered through the festival together, stopping at nearly every stall.He won a small plush toy from one of the games after only two tries.

You cheated.

I didn’t.

You definitely intimidated the game.

He looked genuinely confused-I don’t think that’s possible.

It is when you have your serious face.

My…serious face?

I nodded confidently-The one that makes everyone cooperate.

He laughed and handed me the plush toy-For you.

I’ve never won one of these before.

Then I’m glad this one’s yours.

I hugged it against my chest.It wasn’t really about the toy.It was the fact that he remembered tiny things I casually mentioned weeks ago.As the sun began to set, the festival lights slowly flickered to life.Golden lanterns swayed gently overhead.

Music echoed through the evening air.Without realizing it, we had wandered away from the crowd and toward a quiet hill overlooking the town.The wind carried the scent of blooming flowers.

It’s beautiful-I whispered.

He wasn’t looking at the view.He was looking at me-It is.

I felt my cheeks warm-You weren’t talking about the scenery.

No.

You’ve become very bold.

I learned from you.

I laughed softly and leaned my head against his shoulder.Neither of us felt the need to move.

Sometimes love isn’t found in grand confessionsSometimes it’s found in quiet evenings where simply being together is enough.The more time we spent together, the more our dreams began to change.Mine no longer ended with tears.His no longer ended with loneliness.

Instead…They began to feel connected.One night, I dreamed of a little wooden bridge surrounded by white flowers.Someone stood on the other side.I couldn’t see his face.But I knew…

It was him.

The next morning, before I could tell Evan, he spoke first.

I had the strangest dream.

So did I.

He frowned slightly-There was a bridge.

I froze-With white flowers?

His eyes widened-You saw it too?

Neither of us laughed.Neither of us called it coincidence.Because deep inside…We both knew it wasn’t.

It felt as though forgotten memories were slowly finding their way back to us.Not all at once.

Just enough to remind us that our story hadn’t truly begun the day we met.It had begun much earlier.Somewhere…Somehow…

Long before either of us remembered.And for the first time, instead of fearing those dreams…

We began looking forward to them.Because every dream brought us one step closer to the truth.And neither of us realized…That truth was about to change our lives forever.

A few nights later, everything finally made sense.The dream returned.

It didn’t disappear when I opened my eyes.I remembered every single moment.

A snowy bridge.Two hands reaching for each other.A promise whispered beneath a moonlit sky.

No matter where life takes us…I’ll find you again.

I sat upright, my heart racing.At that exact moment, my phone rang.It was Evan.

Before I could say anything, his trembling voice reached me.

You remembered too…didn’t you?

Tears filled my eyes.

Yes.

Neither of us spoke for a long time.The emptiness we had carried for years had finally found its answer.We had been searching for each other all along because our hearts had never forgotten a promise our minds couldn’t remember.

Months later, surrounded by family, friends, and the people who had witnessed our journey, Evan stood waiting for me at the end of the aisle.

His eyes never left mine.Just as they hadn’t on the day we first met.

Dad gently placed my hand in his-This time-he smiled-I’m trusting someone else to protect her.”

Evan nodded with quiet certainty-I’ll protect her and I’ll love her.

I smiled through happy tears-I know.

Among the guests sat Blake, grinning from ear to ear.Even Lila and James had come.There was no anger left in my heart.Only gratitude.

Because if life hadn’t broken me once…I might never have found the person who was always meant to put me back together.

As Evan slipped the ring onto my finger, he whispered softly enough that only I could hear—I found you.

I squeezed his hand and smiled-You always were going to.

Sometimes responsibility becomes friendship.Sometimes friendship becomes love.And sometimes…Love was never new at all.

It was simply two souls remembering the promise they had made long before they ever met.

Forever began with that promise fulfilled.

The End