anek

It had always felt somewhat empty inside, lonely and quiet. You had grown used to this feeling because it had been with you since childhood. People often told you that 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.

A few months passed. You were sitting on old swings in the yard, listening to music and staring blankly ahead. One day, a guy approached you. His name was Sasha.

"Want to get to know each other?" he asked with a smile.

At first, you didn't answer, because you weren't used to someone actually wanting to talk to you. But after a couple of seconds, you nodded anyway. Sasha didn't ask too many questions. He just sat beside you and talked about ordinary things.

After that, you started meeting often. Sasha would text you in the morning and suggest going for a walk. You walked around the yard, sat on a bench, and talked. Sometimes he would intentionally say something silly just to make you smile. For the first time in a long while, you felt at peace around him.

But gradually, everything changed again. You began to close yourself off. Sometimes you would read his messages and not reply. During your walks, you became quiet, constantly staring at the ground and barely speaking. Sasha noticed this, but he didn't get angry. He simply tried to be there for you.

After a few days, Sasha finally convinced you to go out. The weather was overcast, it was chilly outside, and the park was almost empty. You walked slowly along the path, hardly speaking. At one point, Sasha stopped by a flowerbed. There stood some withered flowers.

He looked at them, then at you.

"Flowers fade so quickly..." he said softly. "Just like you."