When love cost me You
lourished. They spent more time together-morning coffee runs, walks
ering the little things she liked, surprising her with books he th
once hesitated to open her heart, she now found herself f
De
es, smiling when necessary,
aymond the way he had once dreamed she'
there was no
ngage
e city lights. Lilian had no idea why Raymond had been acting so nerv
he moment I met you that you were someone special. And now
nable to find the words. "Yes," she whispere
ly through the family. Her mother was overjo
would end up together," she admit
"There was always something be
and I were close, but he never saw me
s that you're happy. And if Raymond make
ed her hand.
r new beginning f
ater in school by some students. They had ment
had
ver the phone didn't feel right. He had been a constant presence in her
ing to meet at thei
th her fingers-something she only did when she was nervous
ally, though something in
"I wanted to tell you in
he quickly masked it with a sma
aid
pa
.. that's-" He stopped himself before saying something he
lly. "You don't have to f
"No, I mean it. I just-" He exhaled
ted her he
eep his tone light. "You hav
"I know. But sometimes, wh
t-lipped smile. "R
she had ever known with him.
acing her hand over his. "I hope th
lf to smile. "It al
d slightly before sh
llowed said everyth
empty glass of whiskey on the table. The weight of
in his life, that no matter how much time passed, she'd always be th
You waited too long," he whispered to himself. "A
he truly accepted
their usual coffee shop, staring at the chair
hared. The laughter, the conversations, the tim
told her how he felt? If he had just taken
t matter
and he was left with nothing but
rtment, Lilian and Raymo
r one evening, excitement in his voice. "It's a great
ying goodbye to the life she knew, but when she
n it?" s
ld our life together. Just us, in
ross her face. "T
in the warm glow of streetlights. Lilian sat on the bench, her fingers tracing invisible patterns
she needed closure. Maybe she was searching for something
," she finally said,
short breath. "
hat." She studied him, as if searching for an an
ng me that now?" He glanced at her, his expression unreadabl
a beat. "So, you do h
hands clenched into
g?" His voice was quiete
harply. "I don't
roblem, Lilian. You needed me to say something first. You wanted m
wed. "You nev
wanted me, you would've known without me saying it." He s
p ache in her c
me. "Now it doesn't matter." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yo
, to tell him he was wrong, that maybe-just maybe-things
red, "You'll always
w breath. "That's wh
d between them, heav
d. "You should go. You have
brief moment, she thought about re
oss-like something had slipped through her fi
he had just let go of the one thing he