A Year After Us

The bus station was full of people — some were running, some crying, some waiting, others rushing. It was loud. Chaotic. As if everyone had somewhere to go… or something to leave behind. But Cate just stood still. Silent. Holding her phone, staring at the screen over and over again. No calls. No messages. No him. She had opened their conversation countless times. Scrolled up. Scrolled down. Her last message: "Let me know… anything." No reply. Tears slowly began to fall, but she didn’t wipe them away. She was used to it. It still hurt. But she was starting to accept it. The bus arrived. The doors opened. She stood up, took a step. But before she could get on, she stopped. She looked back. One. Last. Time. Hoping Karl would be there. Hoping he’d come running. Call her name. Say, "Don’t go yet." But no one came. Just unfamiliar faces. No one she knew. No him. Cate bit her lip. Finally let herself cry. But in the end… she smiled. Not because she was okay — but because she was choosing to be. She got on the bus. Didn’t look back. And just like that, she left the bus station — and the “them” that once was. She sat by the window. Quiet. Still holding her phone, but she didn’t check it again. She closed her eyes and slowly breathed in, trying to calm the heart that now felt too heavy to carry. "Is this really it?" she asked herself. As the bus started to move, she looked outside. The place was full of people — but she had also left so many pieces of herself behind. "I’m going to miss this," she whispered. Not just the place… but the memories. Here, she first became real. Here, she first loved without fear. And here, she learned that love… isn’t always enough. One by one, the memories came rushing back — Their laughter while eating fishballs near the school. The rainy night they ran under the storm, soaking wet but laughing like kids. Simple moments that, in her heart, felt like they happened just yesterday. Five years. Five whole years. Filled with happiness. With no clear reason why it all ended. Suddenly, she clutched her chest, as if something inside her turned heavy again. "God..." she whispered through trembling lips, fighting back tears. "If we’re really not meant for each other… please, don’t let our paths cross again." "Let me forget him completely, even if it hurts." But behind her prayer, a part of her heart still couldn’t close the chapter. Because sometimes, even when hearts are tired… they still hope. And as the bus drove farther from the station, Cate drifted away from a part of her life she still couldn’t fully understand — but knew she had to let go. She may not know why they ended, But now, she knew just how much it hurt. And even clearer — she had to move forward… even without Karl.