chapter 2: Breaking Point
1289 Words
The woods were darker than Daisy remembered.
Rainwater dripped from the branches above, soaking her hair and blurring her vision. She didn't care. The storm outside felt smaller than the one inside her chest.
She walked until her legs ached.
Then she walked some more.
The trees stood silent around her, watching.
Finally, she reached the old wooden bridge that crossed the creek near the valley.
She climbed onto the railing and sat there, staring at the rushing water below.
When she was younger, she used to come here whenever she felt overwhelmed. A failed test. An argument with her parents. A broken friendship.
Back then, every problem had a solution.
Study harder, Apologize, Move on.
This was different.
This wasn't something she could fix.
A sob escaped her throat before she could stop it.
"Why me?"
The question vanished into the darkness.
No answer came back.
Only the sound of water crashing against rocks.
Daisy lowered her head into her hands.
For the first time since leaving the hospital, she allowed herself to think about what frightened her most.
Children.
The word alone made her chest tighten.
She had never been one of those girls who dreamed about weddings or baby names.
But she had always assumed the choice would be hers. One day, far in the future.
Now that future felt stolen.
The thought made her stomach twist. Her phone vibrated suddenly. The sound startled her.
She pulled it from her pocket.
Leo Calling...
She stared at the screen.
The call ended.
A second later another notification appeared.
Leo: Daisy, where are you? Your mom called
Sarah. Everyone's worried.
She locked the screen immediately.
A minute later another message arrived.
Leo: Please answer.
Daisy swallowed hard, she didn't want sympathy,
she didn't want questions, she didn't want people looking at her differently.
She wanted yesterday,the version of herself that existed before a doctor changed everything.
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
Then, before she could stop herself, she typed a reply.
Daisy: I'm fine.
The three dots appeared instantly.
Leo: That's a lie.
For the first time that night, despite everything, Daisy almost smiled.
Almost.
Then reality settled back over her like a heavy blanket. She stared at the message for a long moment before locking the screen and slipping the phone back into her pocket.
The creek roared beneath the bridge. Rain continued to fall. The world kept moving. Yet hers had stopped.
A sharp gust of wind swept across the valley, sending a chill through her soaked clothes. Daisy wrapped her arms around herself.
She couldn't stay here forever.
Eventually someone would find her.
Eventually she would have to go home.
Eventually she would have to wake up tomorrow and face a life she no longer recognized.
The thought made her stomach churn. Her phone vibrated again.
Against her better judgment, she checked it.
Leo: I know you're not okay.
Another message followed.
Leo: You don't have to tell me what's wrong.
Then another.
Leo: Just tell me where you are.
Daisy stared at the screen.
Why wouldn't he leave her alone?
Didn't people understand she wanted space?
Didn't they understand she needed time?
Yet beneath her irritation was something else.
Relief.
Someone was looking for her.
Someone cared enough not to accept "I'm fine" as an answer.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Finally she
typed:
Daisy: At the old bridge.
She regretted sending it immediately. The message showed as delivered. Then read.
A few seconds later:
Leo: Stay there.
Her eyes widened.
Daisy: Don't.
Leo: Too late.
Before she could respond, he went offline.
"Great," she muttered.
She shoved the phone away again. The rain was beginning to ease. Dark clouds drifted slowly across the sky.
For the first time all evening, the moon peeked through. Its pale light shimmered across the rushing water below. Daisy watched it silently.
When she was little, her father used to bring her here. He would lift her onto the railing and tell her stories about the stars. Back then, the future had felt endless.
Now it felt frighteningly small.
A branch snapped somewhere behind her.
Daisy turned. A figure emerged from the darkness.
It was Leo.
His dark hoodie was soaked through, and his hair was plastered to his forehead from the rain.
He stopped several feet away. Neither of them spoke. Finally he broke the silence.
"You look terrible."
Daisy laughed despite herself.
"Thanks."
"I mean it."
"You're really bad at comforting people."
"I know."
For some reason that made her laugh harder.
The sound surprised both of them.
It was the first genuine laugh she'd managed all day.
Leo smiled faintly. There she is, the laughter faded, the pain returned. Daisy looked away.
The creek suddenly became very interesting.
Leo didn't move closer, He didn't ask questions,
He simply leaned against the railing beside her,
Waiting.
Minutes passed.
The silence between them wasn't awkward.
It never had been. Eventually Daisy spoke.
"I got some test results today."
Leo nodded.
"And?"
She swallowed. The words refused to come out.
How could she explain something she barely understood herself?
How could she say it aloud without making it real?
Her vision blurred.
Leo noticed immediately. His expression changed. Concern replaced curiosity.
"Daisy..."
"I can't."
Her voice cracked. She lowered her head. Tears spilled onto her cheeks.
"I can't say it."
Leo didn't tell her to stop crying. He didn't tell her everything would be okay. He didn't offer advice.
Instead, he quietly sat beside her on the railing.
And for the first time since leaving the hospital, Daisy wasn't alone.
creek rushed beneath them, carrying leaves and broken twigs through the darkness.
Daisy wiped her eyes quickly, embarrassed by how easily she had fallen apart.
Leo pretended not to notice.
For that, she was grateful.
They sat in silence for several minutes.
The rain had finally stopped.
Only the occasional drip from the trees disturbed the quiet.
"What happened at the hospital?" Leo finally asked.
His voice was careful.
Gentle.
Not demanding.
Daisy stared at the water below.
"I thought I was sick."
"You are sick?"
She shook her head.
"Not exactly."
The answer only confused her more.
The doctor had called it a condition.
Not a disease.
Not cancer.
Not something people could easily understand.
Daisy let out a shaky breath.
"My body isn't working the way it's supposed to."
Leo frowned.
"What does that mean?"
There it was.
The question she had been avoiding all day.
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
She tried again.
The words felt like broken glass in her throat.
"The doctor said..." She paused.
Her hands trembled.
"The doctor said I'm going through menopause."
The sentence hung between them.
Heavy.
Unbelievable.
Leo blinked.
"What?"
A bitter laugh escaped Daisy.
"Exactly."
His confusion quickly turned into concern.
"Wait. Menopause?"
She nodded.
"Apparently my ovaries stopped functioning normally."
The medical terms sounded strange even now.
Like they belonged to somebody else's life.
"Can that even happen?"
"Apparently."
Leo looked away.
Trying to process it.
Trying to understand.
Trying not to say the wrong thing.
Daisy appreciated the effort.
Most people would've immediately started throwing around false optimism.
"Everything happens for a reason."
"You'll be okay."
"At least it's not worse."
She hated those phrases.
They turned pain into something small and manageable.
This wasn't small.
This wasn't manageable.
Not yet.
"What does it mean?" Leo asked quietly.
Daisy swallowed.
"It means my hormones are messed up."
He nodded.
"And?"
She looked at him.
The fear she had been holding inside all day surfaced.
Raw and exposed.
"It might mean I can't have children."
Leo froze.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
The words seemed larger once spoken aloud.
Real.
- Writer
