A goodbye we never said.

Chapter One: The Beginning of Something Elena never imagined that someone she had never met could become a memory she would struggle to forget. She used to think such things only happened in movies. How could you miss someone you had never held? How could a person who had never been yours leave behind a feeling you couldn’t explain? She would eventually discover the answers to those questions. But that evening, Elena was simply a bored girl lying on her bed, scrolling through a dating app with absolutely no idea what she was getting herself into. She hadn’t downloaded the app because she was desperate for love. She was curious, perhaps a little lonely, and interested in seeing what kind of people were out there. Most of the profiles were forgettable. Some boys posed beside expensive cars, others displayed gym pictures, and a few seemed convinced that a single emoji could tell a stranger everything about them. Elena laughed at one profile featuring a boy holding a fish. “Congratulations on the fish,” she muttered before swiping left. She continued scrolling until another profile caught her attention. His name was Beau. She paused, studying his pictures. There was something about his smile that made her curious, although she couldn’t explain exactly what it was. His profile wasn’t particularly impressive, and he hadn’t written a long description about himself. Still, she found herself reading every word. She wondered what his voice sounded like and whether his personality matched his pictures. Then she caught herself imagining the personality of a boy she had never spoken to. “Girl, please.” She nearly swiped left. Instead, she swiped right. A moment later, her screen displayed two words. It’s a match! Elena smiled. It was only a dating app match. Nothing serious, nothing worth getting excited about. Plenty of people matched and never spoke, and she wasn’t about to start planning a future with someone simply because he had liked her picture. Still, she opened their chat. Beau’s name appeared at the top of the screen. She waited. Nothing happened. Elena locked her phone, tossed it onto the bed, and returned to the television. She was determined not to become one of those girls who waited around for a stranger to message them. Five minutes later, she picked up her phone again. Still nothing. “Oh, this is ridiculous.” There was no reason she couldn’t message him first. People started conversations all the time, and saying hello didn’t mean she liked him more than he liked her. She opened the chat and typed Hey. Deleted it. Typed Hi. Deleted that too. Finally, she sent: Elena: Heyy. She dropped her phone onto the blanket as though it had personally offended her. “There. Done.” She promised herself she wouldn’t check it again for five minutes. She lasted forty seconds. No reply. She sighed and reached for the television remote. Just as she settled against her pillows, her phone buzzed. A message from Beau. Beau: Heyy, beautiful. Elena blinked, then read it again. Beautiful? A smile crept across her face. It wasn’t the first compliment she had received, but there was something amusing about the confidence with which a complete stranger had addressed her. She decided not to make it too easy for him. Elena: Hahaha, hey. How are you? Beau: I’m good. How about you? Elena: I’m good too. She stared at the screen. Was that it? Were they going to spend the entire evening exchanging polite greetings? Thankfully, another message appeared. Beau: So, tell me something about yourself. At least he was trying. They began talking about their interests, favourite music, and the things they enjoyed doing when they were bored. The conversation started awkwardly, but it gradually became easier. Then Beau sent a message that made Elena laugh. Beau: So, what do you normally do when you’re not on here? Elena: First of all, I just got here. 😂 Beau: And you’ve already found me. Sounds like a successful evening to me. She pressed her lips together, trying not to smile too much. Elena: You’re very confident, aren’t you? Beau: Only when I have a reason to be. Elena: And I’m the reason? Beau: You’re catching on. Elena shook her head. “Okay, Beau.” She couldn’t tell whether he was naturally flirtatious or whether he had perfected the art of keeping a girl interested. She certainly wasn’t going to assume she was special just because he had called her beautiful. But she liked how easy it was to talk to him. She didn’t feel pressured to impress him, and she could tease him without worrying that he would take everything seriously. Their conversation flowed naturally, with jokes mixed between questions about their lives. Before she realised it, she had stopped paying attention to the television. Elena: I just realised I’ve been on here for a while. 😂 Beau: Am I boring you already? Elena: I didn’t say that. Beau: Good. I was about to be offended. Elena: You’ll survive. Beau: Barely. She laughed again. For the first time that evening, Elena stopped wondering whether their conversation would lead anywhere. She was enjoying herself, and perhaps that was enough. Eventually, they began saying goodnight. Beau: It was nice talking to you, beautiful. Elena: It was nice talking to you too. Beau: We’ll talk tomorrow? Elena paused. It was a simple question, but she liked that he wanted to speak to her again. Elena: If you’re not too busy being confident. 😂 Beau: For you? I’ll try to make time. She rolled her eyes, smiling. Elena: Goodnight, Beau. Beau: Goodnight, Elena. ❤️ She read the message twice before locking her phone. Nothing about her life had changed. The television was still playing, her pillow was still on the floor, and Beau was still a stranger. Yet, as she settled beneath her covers, she found herself remembering the way he had made her laugh. It was a pleasant thought to fall asleep with. And she let herself have it. ⸻ The next morning, Elena woke to the sound of her alarm. She silenced it and reached for her phone, intending to check the time. Then she remembered Beau. I wonder if he messaged. She immediately felt ridiculous. They had spoken for only one evening. There was no reason to expect anything. Still, she unlocked her phone. A notification was waiting. Beau: Good morning, beautiful. Hope you slept well. Her smile appeared before she could stop it. He had remembered her. More importantly, he had chosen to message first. It was a small gesture, but it made her morning feel a little brighter. Elena: Good morning 😂 I slept well. Hope you did too. Beau: I did. What are you up to today? And just like that, their conversation began again. Over the following days, talking to Beau gradually became part of Elena’s routine. Sometimes he messaged first, and sometimes she did. Their conversations weren’t always long, but they always seemed to find something to talk about. They exchanged jokes, discovered shared interests, and learned little things about each other. Slowly, Beau stopped feeling like a stranger from a dating app. He became the person whose messages made her smile. The person she occasionally thought about when something funny happened. The person she was beginning to look forward to hearing from. Elena wasn’t in love with him. She barely knew him, and she had no intention of rushing into feelings she couldn’t yet understand. But she was getting used to him. One evening, while they were chatting, Beau asked a question. Beau: Can I ask you something? Elena: Depends. 😂 Beau: Why did you join the app? She considered her answer. Elena: Honestly? I was bored. Beau: That’s all? Elena: What did you expect me to say? Something deep and meaningful? Beau: Actually, yes. Elena: Sorry to disappoint you. I’m a very boring person. Beau: I don’t believe that. Elena: Why not? Beau: Because boring people don’t keep me talking this long. Elena smiled at the screen. Elena: Maybe you’re just easily entertained. Beau: Maybe. Guess you’ll have to keep talking to me and find out. She shook her head, amused by how effortlessly he could turn an ordinary conversation into something that made her smile. A moment later, his next message surprised her. Beau: Sometimes I just want to talk to someone without having to think too much about what to say. Elena paused. For once, he wasn’t teasing her or trying to flirt. He was simply sharing a little piece of himself. Elena: I get that. It’s nice when talking to someone doesn’t feel like work. Beau: Exactly. For a moment, she wondered what else there was to learn about him beyond his confident messages and playful jokes. She wanted to know. And that was when Elena realised something had changed. She wasn’t simply curious about his pictures anymore. She was curious about the person behind them. She wondered what he would be like in person, whether his smile was as charming face-to-face, and whether they would find it just as easy to talk without a screen between them. She had no answers, only questions. But she didn’t need answers yet. For now, there were two strangers getting to know each other, a conversation that had begun unexpectedly, and the quiet possibility of something neither of them had thought to name. Elena placed her phone beside her pillow, smiling at the thought of talking to him again tomorrow. She didn’t know that some connections could leave the deepest marks without ever becoming what you hoped they would. She didn’t know that one day, she would look back on these ordinary conversations and wish she could return to a time when everything was still possible. For now, she was simply Elena. And she was curious about what tomorrow might bring.