Demid

The screeching of metal and a blinding flash were all that remained of that night. You woke up in a hospital room, the silence broken only by the beeping of monitors. He was sitting next to you. His eyes were red from lack of sleep, and when you asked, "Who are you?" he only smiled bitterly and replied, "Your best chance for a future."

Six months passed. You lived in a cozy home, and he patiently taught you to love life again. He rarely spoke of the past, protecting your peace.

One day, while walking through a snowy park, you decided to break this silence.

“Listen...” You peered under the hood of his jacket. “Do you have an ex?”

He froze, watching the steam escape from his mouth. “Well... yes,” he answered quietly, not looking at you.

"Sorry to ask, but why did you break up?" You felt a strange heaviness in your chest.

He stopped by the frozen pond and turned around. There was such tenderness in his gaze that it was almost painful.

"She didn't leave. She just... had an accident and forgot everything. Everything we'd spent years building disappeared in a second."

Your breath caught in your throat. You felt so sorry for him that you cried: what was it like to watch someone you loved see you as a stranger?

“And where is she now?” you whispered.

He came close, adjusted your scarf and smiled sadly:

• This sweet girl is standing right in front of me.

You felt the ground slipping from under your feet. All this comfort, his care, his knowledge of your habits—it wasn't a new love. It was his attempt to bring you back to life without imposing the old.