SOMWHERE ELSE....
The room was dim, smelling faintly of medicine. The beeping of machines was the only thing breaking the silence. A man stood stiffly beside the hospital bed, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. His face looked drained, eyes swollen and red from crying. Across from him, the doctor stood quietly, the light above making the white of his coat look almost too bright for the scene.
"Please," the man's voice cracked, falling apart mid-sentence. "Please save them. My wife and my child… save them."
The doctor's expression didn't change much, but his eyes did. He'd seen people beg like this before, but the way this man's words shook… it cut deeper than usual.
"I'll do everything I can," the doctor said firmly. "But you have to hold on. You must stay strong."
The man shook his head violently, his breath trembling. "It's my fault… all of this is my fault. If only I'd been more careful—if I hadn't—" Tears started crawling in his face. His voice cracked again, and he couldn't finish. He buried his face in his hands, his body shaking with guilt.
The doctor placed a hand on his shoulder, firm and grounding. "Blaming yourself won't help them now. What they need is you. Waiting for them. Strong for them."
The doctor said that wth a strong will in his heart, trying his best to convince the man not to lose his conviction.
The man's knees almost buckled, but he nodded, tears streaming down his face. He leaned back against the wall like it was the only thing holding him up. His lips trembled as he whispered one last time, desperate:
"Please… save them."
The memory faded into the darkness, swallowed up like a dream.
PRESENT...
Sophia walked home after leaving Andrew on the rooftop. Each step felt heavy, her chest tight. The streets were the same as always—the soft orange sunset, shadows stretching long across the road—but to her, everything felt strange now.
Her heart beat painfully with every step, not from walking, but from the weight of what she had just done. She had confessed. The words she had been holding back for so long were finally out. And even though he had turned her down, somehow, she felt lighter.
By the time she reached her house, the sky was already shifting to violet. She slipped off her shoes quietly at the door. The smell of food drifted out from the kitchen—her mother must be cooking.
Her father wasn't home yet. As usual.
Sophia climbed the stairs without saying a word. The sound of her steps made her mom glance toward the staircase, frowning slightly. Something in her mother's expression said she already knew something was wrong.
Upstairs, Sophia closed her bedroom door gently and leaned against it. Her eyes stung. Slowly, she walked to her bed and sat down.
The tears came quietly. She pressed her palms against her face, shoulders shaking. And yet, through her tears, a small smile tugged at her lips.
"It's strange, isn't it?" she whispered to herself. "I already knew… I knew Andrew liked someone else. I knew he cared for her. But still…" Her voice cracked into a little laugh, weak but genuine. "Still, I told him anyway."
She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them.
"It wasn't just for him," she muttered softly. "It was for me too. To finally let go of this weight inside my chest. To say it… even if I already knew what the answer would be."
She wiped at her face with the back of her hand, breathing shakily. It hurt. It really hurt. But somehow, it also felt like she'd set herself free.
Then another thought hit her, heavy like a stone.
"How am I supposed to face him tomorrow? How do I… act normal?"
Andrew and Sophia are indeed childhood friends, and they have had a lot of squabbles in the past. However, this was something completely different. It was not for a toy or for those who could reach home.. Something that can change their relationship completely.
A knock came at the door, soft but enough to make her freeze. Before she could even answer, her mother stepped in.
The moment she saw Sophia's tear-stained face, her expression softened.
"Sophia…" her voice was quiet, careful. She walked over and sat beside her on the bed. "What happened?"
Sophia shook her head quickly, but her mother didn't look convinced. Her eyes were too knowing.
"You confessed, didn't you?" her mom asked gently.
Sophia's eyes widened. "How… how did you know?"
Her mom smiled faintly and brushed a strand of hair from her daughter's face. "Because I can see it. The sadness, but also… a kind of peace. That only happens when someone finally lets out a secret they've been carrying for too long."
Sophia's lips trembled, tears brimming again. "He… he said no. He already has someone else."
Her mom pulled her close into a warm hug. "That's okay. It's more than okay. You should be proud of yourself."
"Proud?" Sophia's voice was small.
"Yes," her mother said firmly. "Do you know how many people go through their whole lives without ever saying what they feel? You were brave enough to tell him, even knowing what the answer might be. That's something to be proud of. And I'm sure it meant something to him too—not because he could return your feelings, but because he knows how deeply you care."
Sophia let the words sink in. The hug felt warm, comforting.
"You should feel lighter now," her mother said. "And tomorrow… just talk to him the way you always do. Nobody can erase the fact that you two are close. That bond won't just disappear. If anything, it might grow stronger."
Sophia sniffled, smiling faintly through her tears. "You think so?"
Her mother nodded. "I know so."
They sat in silence for a while, Sophia leaning against her mother's shoulder, the pain slowly softening.
Finally, her mother stood and brushed Sophia's hair back. "Now wash your face and come down for dinner. You still need to eat. Heartbreak doesn't change that."
Sophia let out a small laugh—weak, but real—and nodded. "Alright, Mom."
After her mother left, Sophia lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Her chest still hurt, but it wasn't crushing her anymore.
Quietly, she whispered, "Tomorrow… I'll face him tomorrow."
That night, her dreams carried her back to when things were simpler—her and Andrew as kids, running through the park, laughing like nothing else mattered. She woke with a small smile.
Morning sunlight spilled into her room. She rose slowly, feeling lighter than the night before. The confession was behind her now. The future was still uncertain, but she had taken the step she needed.
For the first time in days, she actually felt ready to face it.