I am stunned to see Lucas here. When I disappeared, I never imagined seeing him again. That part of my life had stayed in the past. Who could have imagined that by moving to another country, I would find him again? I never suspected something like this could happen.
When he calls me by my name, I feel immense fear. My life, the life I built when I arrived here, has crumbled. My friends won't want anything to do with me, and the only person who has been with me here doesn't have much time left to live.
I've never been one to talk much about it, not even to my friends, so I fear that now they know I'm the villain who ruined Lucas' life, they will hate me. I overheard them talking about this topic once, and it made me hide my past. They may not understand what I did.
As I speak with Lucas, I am determined to tell him that it's pointless to dwell on the past. It doesn't change anything to keep reliving the pain. I didn't expect him to already know everything. It was a relief to realize that I don't have to tell him the truth about what happened in those years.
I tell him that I haven't had any serious relationships since him because I didn't want to. My heart has never stopped loving him despite the years. When he suggests that we meet and reminisce about our relationship, it feels like a dream. It can't be that after all the suffering we went through, we can now rise from the ashes and start something new.
I gladly accept, but that doesn't mean I'll drop everything for Lucas. I believe I owe my friends a conversation to explain what actually happened in those years, that I did love my baby, so they don't have a negative impression of me.
When I step outside again to where Sarah is, I see her smiling and walking towards me. Paige is following behind her, and I think I don't understand anything.
"There's no need to say anything. Firstly, we are not the ones affected by what happened to you, and secondly, we already know the truth. I want you to know that we are with you, and we love you," says Sarah, starting to cry.
"Thank you. I believe every sacrifice has its reward, and although it may sound selfish, you and Paige, along with my mother who is with me now, are the rewards for my suffering. Without any of you, I wouldn't have been able to climb out of the hole I was in," I say, holding one hand of each of them.
"Friend, if this friend of mine does anything, just tell me, and I'll put him in his place. Although he's a gentleman, and I'm sure he'll only make you laugh, you can't blindly trust them. They're not as smart as we are; that's for sure, my friends," Paige says excitedly.
We all laugh at her words and continue discussing our plans with Lucas. Our goal is to start fresh, like when we were children just beginning to explore the realm of love. Except this time, we both have maturity and the freedom to live our love without fear of being discovered.
I simply like to think that life sometimes tests us to see how strong we are. And Lucas is the only man I want in my life, the only one I will love until I stop breathing.
I feel happy and lucky. I never suspected that something like this would happen, not after so many years.
I look at my friend Paige, and I feel sorry for her. She's the only one who hasn't given herself the chance to be happy with Mason, who is crazy about her, down to the core. That man lives for her, we all know that, but I understand her position. She doesn't feel secure enough to come back right now. She needs time to heal, and no one can force her to do something she doesn't want to.
A few months later...
It has been exactly three months. My friends' pregnancies are huge, to describe them in some way. Both of them are happy with their lives. Sarah is eating like crazy, especially indulging in her cravings, and poor Ethan runs to buy her whatever she asks for.
Paige is a different story. She doesn't ask for weird things like Sarah, but I can see that she's happier. Although she hasn't gotten back together with Mason as a couple, we all notice how every time they go out somewhere, she comes back with that sparkle that we thought was lost in her. That look of love that she has only dedicated to Mason.
My relationship with Lucas is going really well. He has even met my mother, who has loved him. I would dare to say that she's in love with my boyfriend, maybe even more than she is with me. That just makes me even happier than I already am. I feel like I have everything I've always wanted.
A stable relationship with a good man who loves me for who I am and who I've always been, despite my mistakes, my past, everything. A man who knows all my different sides and isn't ashamed of any of them. A man who respects my beautiful mother, whom life gave me when I needed her. Someone who loves her almost as much as me and always takes her into account in our plans.
That's Lucas. That's why I'm not planning on letting him go from my life. He's the perfect man, there's no doubt about it.
He finds ways to make me fall in love with him, without realizing that I've been in love with him for many years already. I like that he's thoughtful and attentive. He says he'll never stop being that way because he wants to make sure that I fall more in love with him every day if it's even possible.
I remember the words I said when I distanced myself from him many years ago, as if I had said them yesterday.
I will never forget you. I thought we could never be happy after that. I hope you remember me always, just like I remember you. You always dressed in black, in everything you could. I love every detail of you, every gesture, and every attitude you have towards life. You are the man many would want by their side, that's for sure, but I always wanted you just for myself.
My sweet joy, I'm glad to know you've come back into my life.