The Love We Left Behind

A Break From Stress

The next morning, Evan woke up before his alarm rang.

For a few seconds, he didn’t move.

He just lay there, staring at the ceiling, his mind slowly catching up with his body.

Then it hit him.

Mom is coming home today.

His eyes softened instantly, and a smile spread across his face without him even realizing it.

It felt… light.

His chest didn’t feel tight like it had the past few days. There was no heavy pressure sitting on his heart this morning.

Instead, there was something else.

Excitement.

Real, genuine excitement.

He let out a quiet breath and sat up, running a hand through his hair.

“Today’s going to be a good day…” he muttered to himself.

After taking his bath, Evan stood in front of his mirror adjusting his uniform.

He looked at himself for a moment.

He looked… different.

Not completely okay.

But better.

And that was enough.

He grabbed his phone before leaving his room and paused for a second. “Bethany”

Then he typed:

“Good morning girlfriend, how was your night?”

He stared at the message for a second… then smiled and hit send.

“Girlfriend…” he repeated softly under his breath.

It felt right again.

He slipped his phone into his pocket, grabbed his bag, and headed out.

Bethany’s phone buzzed softly beside her pillow.

She stirred slightly, still half asleep, then reached for it lazily.

The moment her eyes landed on the message—

She froze.

Her sleepiness disappeared instantly.

Her lips parted slightly as she read it again.

And again.

Then slowly…

A smile spread across her face.

A real one.

She pulled the phone closer to her chest, hugging it tightly as she turned on her bed.

“Evan…” she whispered, almost like she didn’t want the moment to break.

It had been so long.

So long since she woke up to something like this.

A good morning text.

Not just from anyone.

From him.

Her boyfriend.

Her Van.

Her sunshine.

She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling now, smiling like someone who had just been handed the best gift.

Then she quickly unlocked her phone and typed her reply.

Her fingers moved fast, but her smile never left her face.

The moment she sent it, she dropped her phone on the bed and rushed into the bathroom.

After her bath, Bethany stepped out, reaching for her uniform.

Her mind was still replaying the message.

Good morning girlfriend…

Her heart fluttered again.

She was just about to pick up her shirt when—

Ding!

Her phone lit up.

She froze mid-motion.

Then quickly turned and rushed to grab it.

“Evan again?”

She didn’t even realize she dropped her uniform completely on the bed.

“My night was fine. I’m heading to school now, will wait at the entrance for you, be quick.”

Her heart skipped.

“He’s waiting for me?”

She bit her lip, smiling.

“Okay.”

She quickly typed back.

Then she grabbed her uniform and got dressed in a hurry.

Standing in front of her mirror fully dressed, she paused again.

She looked at herself carefully.

“…What do I even say to him?”

She tilted her head slightly.

“Hey, good morning—no, we already said that…”

She frowned.

“Just… hey?”

She sighed.

Then her eyes moved to her hair.

“Should I pack it up… or leave it down?”

She lifted it.

“No… maybe down is better…”

She dropped it.

“…Or packed?”

She stared at herself for a while, thinking.

Then slowly, she began packing it up.

When she finished, she leaned closer to the mirror.

“…It’s not bad.”

Her fingers moved to her neck.

The moon-shaped necklace rested there.

She touched it gently, her expression softening.

That necklace wasn’t just an accessory.

It was the necklace Evan gave her on her birthday.

Before he asked her to be his girlfriend.

It meant everything to her.

She smiled softly at her reflection.

Then finally headed downstairs.

At the dining table, her dad watched her quietly as she ate.

She looked… different.

Brighter.

Happier.

He didn’t say anything at first, just observed.

Then he cleared his throat.

“How’s your friend’s mom?”

Bethany looked up immediately.

“She’s better… she’s getting discharged today.”

Her voice carried a hint of excitement.

Her dad nodded.

“That’s good news.”

She smiled and continued eating, but her expression didn’t fade.

After breakfast, her dad dropped her off at school.

The moment she stepped out of the car, she adjusted her bag quickly and began walking fast toward the entrance.

Then faster.

Then almost running.

And then—

She saw him.

Evan.

Standing there.

Waiting.

For her.

Her steps slowed slightly.

Her heart skipped.

He looked up at that exact moment.

Their eyes met.

And he smiled.

Not forced.

Not tired.

But real.

Warm.

She felt it immediately.

Her lips curved into a smile as she walked faster—then broke into a light run toward him.

“Hey—slow down,” Evan said quickly, a small laugh escaping him.

“Don’t worry,” she replied, breathless but smiling, “I won’t fall.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“With the way you’re running, I’m not too sure.”

She rolled her eyes playfully.

“Wow… so this is how you welcome your girlfriend?”

That made him laugh properly.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning,” she replied, a little softer this time.

There was a small pause.

Comfortable.

Then she asked gently,

“How’s your mom?”

“She’ll be home before I get back,” he said.

There was excitement in his voice.

Real excitement.

Bethany smiled.

But she noticed it.

Just for a second.

That tiny flicker of worry in his eyes.

She didn’t say anything.

She just stayed in that moment with him.

Happy he was smiling again.

“EVAN!”

They both turned at the same time.

Ava and Sarah were walking toward them.

Bethany crossed her arms slightly, narrowing her eyes.

“Wait… Evan? Or did I hear wrong?” she said dramatically.

Ava blinked.

“What?”

“You saw me standing here with him,” Bethany continued, “and it’s his name you called first?”

Evan bent his head slightly, laughing under his breath.

Ava smirked.

“I thought he was standing with another girl.”

Her eyes scanned Bethany.

“Wait… what did you do to your hair?”

Bethany touched it awkwardly.

“I just… tried something new.”

Sarah smiled immediately.

“You look really good.”

Ava shook her head.

“I disagree.”

Bethany blinked.

“You look better with your hair down. I didn’t even recognize you from afar.”

Bethany quickly started pulling at it slightly.

Evan chuckled.

Ava turned back to him.

“How’s your mom?”

“She’s fine now,” Evan said, a bit more relaxed. “You guys should stop worrying about me. My mom is okay… and so am I.”

Ava studied him for a second.

Then nodded.

“Okay. I’m glad.”

And just like that, she dropped it.

No pressure.

No pushing.

They all walked to class together.

Side by side.

Talking about random things.

Laughing.

Like everything was slowly going back to normal.

Meanwhile, at the hospital…

Mrs. Lee stood at the reception desk, adjusting the edge of her cardigan as she carefully signed the last document placed in front of her.

Her handwriting was slower than usual.

Not because she didn’t know what to write…

But because of the dull ache that lingered in her body.

Still, her face remained calm.

Composed.

The nurse beside her held a medium-sized bag, watching patiently.

“Just one more signature here, ma’am,” the nurse said gently, pointing to the bottom of the page.

Mrs. Lee nodded and signed it.

“Thank you.”

She handed the pen back and let out a quiet breath.

Finally… home.

“Hi, good morning, ma’am.”

The voice came from behind her.

She turned slowly.

A young man stood there, slightly taller than she expected, with a polite smile on his face.

“Good morning, dear,” she replied warmly, though her eyes lingered on him.

There was a pause.

She didn’t recognize him.

Jake noticed the confusion immediately and stepped forward slightly.

“I’m Jake, I—”

“Oh, Jake!”

Her expression changed instantly.

Recognition.

“Evan told me about you.”

Her smile widened a little.

“You’re the one who accompanied him the day he came to the hospital.”

Jake nodded, smiling.

“Yes, ma’am.”

She gave a small nod of appreciation.

“Thank you. He told me everything. I’m glad he wasn’t alone that day.”

Jake shook his head lightly.

“It’s really nothing.”

His eyes moved to the bag in the nurse’s hand, then back to her.

“Are you… leaving?”

“Yes,” she said, adjusting her sleeve slightly. “I’m getting discharged today.”

“That’s good,” Jake replied, genuinely relieved.

There was a brief silence before he asked,

“How are you getting home?”

“I’ll take the bus,” she said simply.

Jake frowned almost immediately.

“The bus?”

She nodded.

“It’s not far—”

“No, ma’am,” he interrupted gently but firmly.

She blinked, slightly surprised.

“I’ll take you home.”

“Oh no, it’s fine,” she said quickly. “I don’t want to trouble you.”

“It’s not trouble,” Jake replied, already reaching for the bag from the nurse.

The nurse handed it over without hesitation.

Mrs. Lee watched him for a second.

“You don’t have to—”

“I insist,” he said, turning back to her with a small but serious smile.

There was something in his tone.

Firm.

Respectful.

But not something she could easily argue with.

She sighed softly, a small smile forming.

“Hmm… it’s hard winning arguments with young people these days.”

Jake chuckled.

“Very hard.”

A few minutes later, they were both in the car.

At first, the drive was quiet.

The kind of silence that wasn’t uncomfortable…

Just unfamiliar.

Mrs. Lee sat carefully, her hands resting on her lap as she looked out the window.

Jake drove calmly, occasionally glancing at her through the mirror to make sure she was okay.

After a while, she spoke.

“So… how did you end up being friends with my son?”

Jake smiled slightly.

“We’re not really friends,” he said honestly. “But he’s close to my kid sister.”

Mrs. Lee turned her head.

“Your sister?”

Jake nodded.

There was a short pause before realization dawned on her face.

“…Bethany?”

Jake smiled.

“Yeah.”

She let out a soft, surprised breath.

“Oh… that makes sense.”

Then she added,

“Evan never mentioned that Bethany had a brother.”

Jake shook his head lightly.

“We’re cousins. But we grew up together, so we’re basically like siblings.”

She smiled warmly.

“That’s nice.”

Her gaze softened slightly.

“I’m glad Bethany has someone like you.”

Jake didn’t respond immediately.

He just smiled politely, focusing on the road.

After a moment, she spoke again, her tone softer this time.

“Please… be good to my son.”

Jake’s hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel.

Then he nodded.

“You don’t have to worry, ma’am.”

He glanced at her briefly.

“I like Evan. He’s a good kid.”

Mrs. Lee smiled.

That answer satisfied her.

The atmosphere in the car shifted after that.

It became lighter.

Warmer.

Soon, she started talking again, this time more freely.

“You know… Evan wasn’t always this quiet.”

Jake raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Oh?”

She chuckled softly.

“When he was younger, he used to talk a lot. He would follow me everywhere, asking questions about everything.”

Jake smiled.

“I can’t imagine that.”

“He once cried because I didn’t let him cook with me,” she added, laughing lightly at the memory.

Jake laughed.

“Seriously?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “He said he wanted to ‘help feed the family.’”

Jake shook his head, amused.

“That doesn’t actually sounds like him.”

They both laughed.

The rest of the ride was filled with small stories.

Little moments from Evan’s childhood.

Each one making the atmosphere more relaxed.

More human.

By the time they arrived, it didn’t feel like a quiet ride anymore.

When they got to the house, Jake parked and quickly stepped out to help her.

He picked up the bag and walked beside her to the door.

“Thank you so much, Jake,” she said sincerely.

“It’s nothing, ma’am.”

She opened the door slowly and stepped inside.

“Drive safely, okay?”

“I will.”

He gave a small nod and turned back toward his car.

As he drove off, Mrs. Lee stood at the doorway for a second…

Looking at the quiet house.

Then she stepped in.

Back at school, it was lunch break.

The group gathered at their usual table, trays in front of them.

Cal leaned forward slightly, looking at Evan.

“So… when are you resuming basketball practice?”

Evan shrugged a little.

“The coach said next week.”

Then he paused.

“But I think I’ll resume tomorrow.”

Nelson looked up immediately.

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Evan nodded.

There was a small silence before Nelson asked,

“Can we come watch you play?”

Evan smiled.

“Of course.”

Then he looked at Nelson more closely.

“You should join.”

Nelson blinked.

“Join?”

“Yeah. The basketball club.”

Nelson scratched the back of his head.

“Uhmm… I don’t know…”

Evan leaned forward slightly.

“Why?”

“I’ve never played basketball before,” Nelson admitted. “Or even watched it like that. The only sport I actually like is soccer.”

Evan nodded slowly, listening.

“That’s fine.”

Nelson looked at him, surprised he wasn’t being pushed immediately.

“I didn’t know anything when I started either,” Evan continued. “I wasn’t just good from the beginning.”

Nelson stayed quiet.

Evan rested his arm casually on the table.

“You don’t have to be perfect at it. You just have to try.”

There was no pressure in his voice.

Just honesty.

“If you don’t like it, you can always stop,” Evan added. “But if you never try… you won’t even know if you could be good at it.”

Nelson stared at him for a moment.

Thinking.

“Hmm…”

“I’ll think about it,” he finally said.

Evan smiled.

“That’s enough.”

Then he added lightly,

“I’ll talk to the coach anyway. Just in case.”

Nelson laughed.

“Alright. Thanks, man.”

“No problem.”

Ava leaned back in her chair, watching them.

“You’re not much of a snob, Evan,” she said sarcastically.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Even Evan shook his head, smiling.

Bethany didn’t laugh as much.

She was watching him.

Not suspiciously.

Just… carefully.

Making sure he was really okay.

And today—

He looked okay.

The final bell rang, echoing through the hallway.

Students began packing their bags, chairs scraping lightly against the floor, conversations slowly rising again.

Evan zipped up his backpack quickly.

He didn’t waste time.

“I’ll be heading home first,” he said, glancing at Bethany.

She looked up at him.

There was something in the way he said it.

A little urgency.

But she didn’t question it.

She just nodded.

“Okay.”

He adjusted his bag on his shoulder, then paused slightly.

“Text me when you get home.”

“I will.”

He gave her one last look—soft, but quick—before turning and walking out.

Bethany watched him leave.

Ava leaned closer almost immediately.

“Why is he leaving like that?”

Bethany exhaled softly.

“His mom is getting discharged today.”

Ava’s expression softened.

“Oh…”

Then she smiled.

“I’m glad you guys are okay now.”

Her hand rested gently on Bethany’s shoulder.

Bethany smiled back.

“Me too.”

A few minutes later, Sarah and Cal walked up to them.

“Let’s go wait for Nelson,” Cal suggested.

“He’s still in class.”

They all agreed and made their way down the hallway.

When Nelson finally came out, stretching and complaining about how long his class felt, they all laughed and started heading home together.

But halfway through—

Cal suddenly stopped.

“ICE ‘N’ CONES?”

Nelson’s head snapped toward him immediately.

“Yes.”

Sarah laughed.

“I knew you were going to say that.”

Ava folded her arms.

“I’m not saying no to ice cream.”

All eyes turned to Bethany.

She hesitated for a second…

Then smiled.

“Okay.”

The shop bell chimed softly as they stepped inside.

The cool air hit them instantly, along with the sweet scent of vanilla and chocolate.

“Wow…” Nelson muttered, looking around.

“Focus,” Ava said. “Pick your flavor.”

They all moved toward the counter, debating flavors, tasting samples, arguing over which was better.

“Chocolate is basic,” Ava said.

“Chocolate is classic,” Nelson corrected.

“Same thing,” she replied.

Cal pointed at one.

“This one looks dangerous.”

“That’s literally strawberry,” Sarah said.

They all laughed.

Bethany stood quietly for a moment, watching them.

Smiling.

Then she finally ordered hers.

As they sat down with their cups, the conversation flowed easily.

Laughter.

Teasing.

Random stories.

It felt… light.

Like nothing was wrong in the world.

Meanwhile, Evan pushed the door open and stepped into the house.

And immediately—

He paused.

The air felt different.

Warmer.

Full.

Alive.

It wasn’t quiet in that empty, heavy way anymore.

There was movement.

There was life.

There was home.

“Mom?”

“In the kitchen!”

Her voice echoed back.

Evan’s chest tightened slightly.

Not from fear.

From something else.

Relief.

He walked toward the kitchen slowly.

And there she was.

Standing by the counter.

Moving around.

Like she always did.

Like she never left.

For a moment, he didn’t say anything.

He just stood there…

Watching her.

Taking it in.

“You’re just going to stand there?” she said without turning.

He smiled.

“You’re really back.”

She turned this time, smiling at him.

“Yes. Now go upstairs, change, and come eat.”

He nodded quickly.

“Okay.”

⸻

After changing, Evan came back downstairs.

The table was already set.

The smell of food filled the room.

He sat down, watching her as she served the food.

There was something comforting about it.

Something he didn’t realize he had missed so much.

They started eating.

Slowly.

Quietly at first.

Then she spoke.

“I met Jake today.”

Evan looked up immediately.

“You did?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “He drove me home.”

Evan leaned back slightly.

“That sounds like him.”

She smiled.

“He’s a good boy.”

Evan nodded.

“He is.”

Then he added,

“It’s not just Jake.”

She looked at him.

“Hmm?”

“There’s Nelson… and Cal.”

He paused slightly.

“Although… I didn’t like Cal at first.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

“He was always around Bethany.”

There was a brief silence.

Then she smirked.

“So… you were jealous?”

Evan almost choked.

“I was not!”

She laughed.

“You were.”

“I wasn’t,” he insisted, shaking his head.

She laughed even more.

He tried to hold a serious face…

But failed.

And ended up laughing too.

It felt normal.

So normal.

And that made it feel even more special.

Later that evening, Evan went upstairs and picked up his phone.

Bethany had already texted him.

“I’m home.”

He smiled and called her.

She picked up almost immediately.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

There was a small pause.

Comfortable.

Then he spoke.

“I heard you went to ICE ‘N’ CONES.”

She gasped.

“Who told you?!”

He laughed softly.

“So you actually went.”

“You left me!” He said, trying to sound serious but failing.

“That’s not fair.”

“I’m sorry!” she laughed.

“We’ll go together next time.”

“I’m holding you to that,” he said.

They talked.

And talked.

About everything.

About school.

About his mom.

About her day.

About nothing important.

And everything at the same time.

The conversation flowed so easily.

So naturally.

Like they had found their way back to each other.

By the time they said goodnight…

Neither of them wanted to hang up.

“Goodnight, Girlfriend.”

“Goodnight, Van.”

Evan lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

A small smile rested on his lips.

Today was good.

Really good.

But slowly…

That smile faded.

His thoughts shifted.

They said it was curable…

He swallowed.

His mind drifted.

To his sister.

I wish it was the same for her…

He closed his eyes.

Maybe she would still be here…

In another room, Mrs. Lee lay quietly on her bed.

Her face was calm.

But her body wasn’t.

Pain spread through her slowly, even after the medication.

She tightened her grip on the bedsheet slightly.

Trying not to make a sound.

How will I get the money…?

Her chest rose and fell unevenly.

Her thoughts drifted to Evan.

She shut her eyes tightly.

I don’t want him to see me like this…

The house was quiet.

Peaceful.

Almost too peaceful.

But behind closed doors…

Behind soft smiles…

Behind laughter and small happy moments—

There were thoughts.

Fears.

Worries.

That refused to disappear.

The night was a quiet night but some minds weren’t quiet.

One question lingered silently between them all—

…Is the stress really over for everyone?

Or is this just a break from stress?