The Last Goodbye
562 Words
The airport was louder than Lena expected.
Rolling suitcases scraped against tiled floors, voices overlapped in different accents, and announcements echoed endlessly above them.
Yet, in the middle of all that noise, everything around her felt strangely muted as though the world had decided to give her this moment in silence.
Daniel stood beside her, hands buried in the pockets of his coat, his posture stiff. He had been that way since they arrived, present, but distant.
Like a man doing the right thing while bracing himself for the weight of regret.
“You don’t have to stay,” Lena said quietly, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder.
“I can manage from here.”
Daniel looked at her then, really looked at her.
Her face was pale.
Her eyes were tired.
Her dress was the same one she had worn for two days straight.
She hadn’t even noticed.
Survival had consumed her too completely for vanity.
"I know,” he replied. “But I want to.”
They stood there for a moment, neither knowing what else to say.
Words felt dangerous like they might open doors that should remain closed.
"You’ll be fine,” Daniel said eventually. “You always are.”
Lena smiled faintly.
“I didn’t feel fine two days ago.”
“I know.” His jaw tightened. “I should have done more.”
She shook her head slowly. “You did enough.
You helped me leave.
That matters.”
That was the truth.
Leaving mattered.
Breathing again mattered.
Her phone vibrated in her hand. She glanced down, expecting a notification from the airline. Instead, it was an unknown number.
Unknown Number: You shouldn’t have let him leave.
Lena’s breath caught.
She looked around instinctively, her heart pounding as she scanned the crowd.
No one seemed to be watching her.
No one seemed to notice her at all.
“Is something wrong?” Daniel asked.
She locked her phone screen quickly.
“No. Just… a message.”
From who?
Her mind screamed.
Another vibration followed almost immediately.
Unknown Number: He didn’t tell you everything.
Not about the marriage.
Not about what came after.
Her fingers trembled.
“What’s wrong, Lena?” Daniel pressed, stepping closer.
She swallowed hard and forced herself to meet his eyes.
“Nothing. It’s probably spam.”
The lie tasted bitter, but she wasn’t ready to drag him into this.
Not now.
Not when she was finally leaving.
A boarding announcement interrupted them.
“Passengers for Flight 714, final call.”
Daniel exhaled slowly. “That’s you.”
Lena nodded, her chest tightening.
She hadn’t expected this part to hurt.
She hadn’t expected anything to hurt anymore.
“Well,” she said softly, “this is it.”
Daniel hesitated, then pulled her into a brief, careful hug.
It wasn’t romantic.
It wasn’t desperate.
It was simply human.
“Be careful,” he murmured. “And don’t disappear completely.”
She pulled back and managed a small smile. “No promises.”
As she turned and walked toward the gate, her phone vibrated again.
Unknown Number: Running won’t save you.
But it might buy you time.
Lena didn’t stop walking.
She didn’t turn around.
But for the first time since she made the decision to leave, fear followed her all the way onto the plane, quiet, patient, and watching.
- Writer
