Falling for the Courier

I shouldn’t have opened that door. Not that day. And definitely not to him. “Mom! Where’s my hoodie?!” I closed my eyes and leaned against the kitchen counter. A morning like any other. Chaos. Noise. Cold coffee. Tomáš was looking for something, the kids were arguing. The doorbell rang. “I’m coming!” I shouted, annoyed. I opened the door. And there he was. Just a courier. Dark jacket, a package in his hand. But his eyes… lingered on me a second longer than they should have. “Elena?” “Yes.” He handed me the package. For a second, we both held it. A touch. Brief. Innocent. “Mom!!” I let go of the box. “Sorry.” He smiled. “It’s okay… I get it.” “Do you have kids?” I asked before I could stop myself. He hesitated. “No. But life… can be loud.” Something about the way he said it stayed with me. “Goodbye.” I closed the door and leaned against it. My heart was beating faster than it should have. “Who was that?” “No one,” I said too quickly. Just a courier. Two days later, he came again. I opened the door. Him. “Package for Elena.” “How are you?” “Better… now,” he smiled. My heart skipped a beat. “I’m exhausted,” he added. “I might quit.” “Really?” I blurted out. “Maybe.” Something in me sank. That evening, Tomáš came home. “It’s a mess again.” The kids went quiet. “You’re home all day,” he continued. I said nothing. I didn’t have the strength anymore. A few days later, the doorbell rang again. This time, I hurried. “You didn’t leave?” I asked. He smiled. “I couldn’t.” “Why?” He looked at me. “Because of you.” I froze. “You’re the only one who actually talks to me.” My heart was racing. And in that moment… I understood. He wasn’t just a courier.