Sasha Yasyukevich

The late hour of the night made one shudder from the darkness. The power was out for technical reasons; tree branches were being trimmed, and to avoid hitting the wires and causing problems, the residents of the district had been warned.

Alisa knew about it and had prepared everything in advance, spending the entire day at work. She arrived home late, completely exhausted. She wanted to go straight to the bedroom where, she thought, her boyfriend would be, but instead, she noticed a rumpled bed and an empty closet. Checking her phone, she saw a massive text from him confessing that he had cheated on her.

The betrayal, the mountain of work, a long period without rest, guilt trips from relatives, domestic struggles, and one last minor detail—that her salary would be delayed by two weeks—finally made her break down in tears.

An unexpected call from her friend Sasha forced her to calm down for a few minutes; from her voice and sobs, he realized she had hit her breaking point. He understood the reason for all this, as he had long seen that she was barely holding on. He drove to her house just to give her the feeling that there was someone by her side and that she wasn't alone.

— Cry. You need to let the emotions out. I'm here, Sasha said as he hugged her right at the doorstep, stroking her head. To him, she was something more than just a friend. He felt something romantic for her, far beyond friendship. He hadn't dared to make a move while she was occupied.