A Quiet Goodbye

The days were slipping by faster than Yura could keep track of, each one blending into the next in an endless cycle of routine. She had come to terms with the idea of moving forward, of accepting that life had its own way of unfolding—sometimes without explanation, sometimes without warning. She had found peace in the small victories, in the quiet moments where she could breathe without the weight of the past dragging her down. But peace didn’t always last.

One cold, gray afternoon in early December, Yura was sitting at her desk at work, her focus on a report that was due. The low hum of office chatter and the steady clicking of keyboards were her background noise, but her mind was elsewhere. Her phone buzzed on the corner of the desk, the vibration pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen, her breath catching in her throat as she saw the name.

Ericson.

She hadn’t heard from him since that awkward coffee meet-up weeks ago. He had said his goodbyes, and she had let him go, or at least, she had convinced herself that she had. So why was he reaching out now?

Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened the message.

Ericson: Yura, I need to tell you something. I’ve been trying to find the right words, but I just… I don’t think I can keep it in anymore. Can we talk?

Her heart started to race. She stared at the screen for what felt like hours, a cold knot tightening in her stomach. What could he possibly want now? The silence between them had been comfortable, a necessary space. She had moved on, hadn’t she?

She didn’t reply immediately. Her mind raced with a thousand questions, each one more painful than the last. What could he want? Was he looking for closure? Or was there something more—something she wasn’t ready for?

After what seemed like an eternity, she tapped out a response, her fingers slow and hesitant.

Yura: Of course. What’s going on?

His reply came quickly.

Ericson: Can I meet you? I need to explain something. It’s important.

Yura felt her chest tighten. It felt as though the air around her was thickening, each breath more difficult to take. She typed out a quick “okay,” though her mind was racing. She told herself it was fine, that it was just a conversation between two people who had once cared for each other. But deep down, she feared that this conversation would reopen a door she wasn’t sure she was ready to face.

The meeting was set for the following day.

---

The next afternoon, Yura walked into the small café where they had met before. She felt like a ghost of herself, unsure of what she was doing here, unsure of what was about to unfold. She found Ericson seated in the same spot, his eyes downcast, his hands gripping a cup of coffee like it was the only thing keeping him grounded.

When he looked up, his eyes met hers, and Yura saw something in them that made her heart twist. They weren’t the same carefree eyes she remembered from high school, full of hope and laughter. They were tired, clouded with sadness.

"Yura," Ericson said softly, his voice rough. "I’m sorry to bring this up again, but… I need to tell you something that I should have said a long time ago."

Yura felt the air shift, the quiet weight of his words pressing down on her. She nodded slowly, bracing herself.

He exhaled deeply before speaking again, his eyes never leaving hers. "I’ve been diagnosed with cancer. It’s advanced, and the doctors don’t think I have much time left."

The words hit her like a slap, and for a moment, the world around her disappeared. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. She stared at Ericson, her mind racing, struggling to understand what he had just said. It felt like the ground had been pulled out from under her.

"I didn’t want to tell you like this," Ericson continued, his voice faltering. "I’ve been trying to figure things out on my own, but I couldn’t keep it from you anymore. You were a big part of my life, Yura, and I need you to know… I’m sorry for everything. For the way I left things. For how we drifted apart. I never meant to hurt you."

Tears welled up in Yura’s eyes as she listened to him, but she couldn’t make a sound. She had never imagined hearing something like this. The person she had once loved, the person who had been her whole world, was slowly slipping away from her—not just emotionally, but physically, too.

"I never wanted us to end this way," Ericson continued, his voice breaking. "But I need you to know that no matter what happened between us, you will always have a place in my heart."

Yura's breath hitched as the floodgates opened. She wanted to reach out to him, to tell him that she was sorry too, that they could have done things differently, that she still cared, but the words stuck in her throat. There was so much she wanted to say, but the weight of the moment felt too heavy to carry.

He reached across the table, his hand trembling as it hovered between them. She took it, her fingers closing around his, not caring that everything felt broken, not caring that the past had come rushing back in a wave of pain and regret.

"I’m sorry," Yura whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I never knew. I never knew."

Ericson squeezed her hand, his eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and gratitude. "I didn’t want you to know," he said softly. "But I needed you to understand. I needed you to know that I never stopped caring about you. And I never will."

For a long moment, they sat there, neither of them speaking, the weight of what was left unsaid hanging between them. Yura didn’t know what the future held. She didn’t know if she would see him again or if this would be the last time they shared a moment together.

But in that moment, all she could feel was the deep, unbearable sadness that settled in her chest. The love they had once shared—so full of hope, so full of promise—was now a memory. A beautiful memory that would have to live on in her heart, because that was all she had left of him.

And as they sat there, hands still entwined, Yura realized something she had never wanted to accept: some loves, no matter how deep or meaningful, couldn’t survive the passage of time.

Some loves, no matter how hard you fight for them, simply weren’t meant to last.

The tears fell freely now, and neither of them said a word.

In the silence, Yura realized that even the most beautiful chapters of your life could end too soon.

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