Rebirth

Chapters 6: the past 6

It had been months since Meg and Alex first started talking, and somewhere along the way, their conversations had become the highlight of her days. What had begun as casual chats had grown into long, meaningful discussions that stretched late into the night. They spoke about everything—childhood memories, family struggles, dreams for the future, fears they had never shared with anyone else. They laughed until their sides hurt, teased each other over the smallest things, and sometimes simply stayed on the phone in comfortable silence.

Meg found herself looking forward to Alex’s calls every single day. He rarely failed to call, even when he was busy helping his mother at her small shop. That consistency made her feel important, chosen. She had never felt this way about anyone before, and sometimes she lay awake wondering if Alex felt the same depth of emotion she did.

On the first day of February, her phone rang around 12 a.m. The shrill sound cut through her sleep, making her groan as she reached blindly for it.

“Who would be calling me by this time?” she muttered irritably. She hated being disturbed in her sleep.

She squinted at the screen. It was Alex.

“Hey, it’s me,” he said softly as soon as she answered.

“Alex,” Meg said, instantly recognizing his voice. Despite her sleepiness, her irritation faded.

“I’m so sorry for disturbing you,” he continued, sounding slightly nervous. “I just… I wanted to ask if you’ll be my Valentine.”

Meg blinked in confusion. “Alex, today is the first of February,” she said, letting out a sleepy laugh.

“I know,” he replied quickly. “I just wanted to ask you first.”

His innocence made her smile even in the dark. “We’re not even seeing each other,” she pointed out teasingly. “How do you expect me to answer that question?”

“It’s… a virtual something,” he whispered shyly, though she heard him clearly.

She couldn’t help but smile at his effort. “Okay, no problem,” she replied softly, feeling a little shy.

After the call ended, she lay back down, staring at the ceiling. There’s always a first time for everything, she thought. And this first time isn’t bad after all. With that comforting thought, she drifted back to sleep.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through her window, and she woke up with an unconscious smile on her face. She checked the time—8 a.m.

“Everyone has gone out,” she murmured.

Her four siblings were already at school. Her mother, a teacher, had left early, and her father, a government worker, was likely already at his office. The house was unusually quiet. She began her daily routine, sweeping, cooking, washing dishes—though her mind kept drifting to Alex. She waited for his call, glancing at her phone more times than she cared to admit.

But no call came.

Finally, she went online and saw his message.

“Hello pretty, sorry for not calling. I slept off.”

Relief washed over her. “It’s fine,” she replied, pretending she hadn’t been waiting.

“So how is your day going today?” he asked.

“Good. By the way, I ate rice and curry sauce,” she answered casually.

“Oh, you know how to cook?” he asked, genuine surprise in his voice.

“Yeah, I do,” she replied, suddenly feeling shy.

“Wow, never knew you were wife material,” he teased flirtatiously.

“Of course I am,” she shot back proudly, though her cheeks warmed.

They talked for hours without noticing the time. When she finally glanced at the clock, it was already 2 p.m.

“The time ran so fast,” she murmured.

“So what are you doing now?” he asked.

“Nothing in particular. Just waiting for my siblings and my mum to come back from school.”

“Oh okay. I’ll chat you later. My mum is calling me.”

“Oh okay,” she responded, trying not to sound disappointed.

A week later, after being unusually busy with his mother’s business, Alex called her unexpectedly. His voice sounded different—serious, almost hesitant.

“I wanted to talk to you about us,” he began gently. “I really enjoy spending time with you. I feel like we have a deep connection. I was wondering if you’d like to be my girlfriend.”

Meg’s heart pounded loudly in her chest. She could hear the sincerity in his voice—and the fear of rejection. She knew she cared about him deeply. But something inside her still hesitated, afraid of moving too fast.

“Please let me think about it,” she whispered.

“No problem. I’ll wait for you. How long do you need?” he asked, unable to hide the slight disappointment in his tone.

“A week,” she answered.

He agreed without pressure.

On the ninth day of the month, he messaged her again.

“Hi pretty,” he wrote playfully.

“Hello handsome,” she replied, smiling.

“So… it’s been a week already,” he reminded her.

“Oh,” she said, suddenly remembering. Meg had always been forgetful.

She paused for a moment, then typed the words that had been forming in her heart all along.

“No problem. I’ll be your girlfriend.”

And just like that, their relationship officially began.