anek

There was always a feeling of emptiness inside, lonely and quiet. You were used to this feeling because it had been with you since childhood. People often said you were strange: too quiet, too serious, never laughing or showing emotion. You had few friends, and even around them, you felt like an outsider.

Several months passed. You were sitting in the yard on an old swing, turning on music and staring into space. One day, a guy approached you. His name was Sasha.

"Shall we get acquainted?" he asked with a smile.

You didn't respond at first, unaccustomed to someone wanting to talk to you. But after a few seconds, you nodded. Sasha didn't ask too many questions. He simply sat next to you and talked about ordinary things.

After that, you started seeing each other more often. Sasha would text you in the morning and invite you out for a walk. You'd walk around the courtyard, sit on a bench, and talk. Sometimes he'd tell you something silly on purpose to make you smile. For the first time in a long time, you felt calm around him.

But gradually, everything changed again. You started to withdraw into yourself. Sometimes you'd read his message and not respond. On walks, you'd become quiet, constantly looking at the ground and barely speaking. Sasha noticed this, but he wasn't angry. He was simply trying to be there.

A few days later, Sasha finally persuaded you to go out. The weather was overcast, cool, and the park was almost deserted. You walked slowly along the path, barely speaking. At one point, Sasha stopped near a flowerbed. It was filled with dried flowers.

He looked at them, then at you.

"Flowers fade so quickly," he said quietly. "Just like you."