Feather
One night, as the echo of rain softly fell outside a local library, Yua was stacking the last few books back on the shelf. Everything was calm like every other night, until the door opened. Standing there was Alicia, completely drenched with a familiar smirk. For a while, Yua froze. It had been years since they had last seen one another, and yet the sight of her still makes Yua’s heart skip. She thought she had already moved on from their relationship, but deep down, the past would keep coming to her mind. It sometimes finds its way back to you when you least expect it.
Back in their college year, they were complete opposites. Yua was quite a shy and easily flustered woman, while Alicia was more confident in herself and, at times, annoyingly charming. They were a perfect balance, Alicia cheering Yua on, which led Yua to be more confident, while Yua would give Alicia a reality check if she got too delusional. As time went on, their relationship turned into something deeper. The late-night study sessions, the times where they would secretly smile at one another, and that one time where they both accidentally confessed their love to each other at the same time and moment. It was embarrassing at best, but in a way, it just felt right. For a while, everything felt perfect.
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But sadly, good things don’t last forever. Alicia was born in a dangerous family where she was trained to be an assassin. She tries to keep her head and secret low, but soon enough, things got more complicated to the point where her Yua could get targeted. So, with a heavy heart, on a rainy night, Alicia would leave without saying goodbye. Yua woke up one morning alone in an empty room and found a folded note that only said “I’m sorry.” That note was the last thing Alicia did before leaving her. Since then, with each passing year, Yua has built quite life for herself as a librarian, meeting with customers new and old, enjoying her time in the small town she lives in, and raising her adopted son and niece till they grew up. Yet. Whenever it rained, she would sometimes think about Alicia.
Now, seeing her again after all the years of silence, it just felt so surreal to her. The air between them felt tense as everything was left unsaid. Alicia then spoke up, trying to lighten the mood, but then Yua snapped and yelled about the pain she had to carry for all those years. Alicia tries to make an excuse for why she did, but it ended up making it worse, which soon causes the two former lovers to argue with one another. But soon, Alicia stops as she looks into Yua’s eyes, seeing all her anger but also the faint love that never went away.
They both calmed down to have a short conversation about everything that had happened to them. Even if Alicia wouldn’t tell Yua the truth about her hidden background, she did give Yua closure, as it wasn’t Yua’s fault that she left and that she would soon explain herself one day, just not right now. When the storm finally dissipates, Alicia left quietly, but as she did, she left a single white feather on Yua’s counter before walking out the door. Yua stared at it for a long time, then a small smile formed on her face. Sometimes love stories doesn’t always end with happy endings, but it’s ok, it’s enough to know that they were real, even if they didn’t last forever.
