Promises and Partings
But happiness, as Fabiola learned, has a way of testing its strength.
It started one evening in late August.
Ben was quieter than usual. They were sitting on the same hill where they always watched the sunset, but his hand was tense in hers.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly.
He hesitated, then sighed. "My dad got a job offer."
She smiled. "That's good news, right?"
He didn't answer. The silence stretched too long.
"Ben?"
He finally looked at her — eyes full of sadness. "It's in London."
Her heart froze. "London?" she whispered.
He nodded. "We're leaving next month."
The world tilted. The ocean breeze, the fading sunset, the laughter from the distant boardwalk — everything felt far away.
"You're leaving me," she said quietly.
"I don't want to."
"But you are."
He ran a hand through his hair. "If I could stay, I would. You know that."
Tears blurred her eyes. "Then take me with you."
He laughed softly, brokenly. "I wish I could."
She stood, her voice trembling. "We just found each other, Ben. How am I supposed to lose you now?"
He got up, reaching for her hand, but she stepped back.
"I love you," he said suddenly.
The words hung in the air, raw and real.
Fabiola's breath caught. "Say it again."
"I love you," he said, stepping closer. "I love you so much it hurts."
And she believed him — every word, every tear that shone in his eyes.
She threw her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. "Then promise me something."
"Anything."
"Promise me this isn't the end."
He cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. "It's not. I'll come back to you. No matter where I am — we'll find our way back."
She nodded, though her heart was breaking.
When he kissed her that night, it felt like a promise sealed under the stars — fragile, desperate, eternal.
A month later, he was gone.
His flight to London left early in the morning. Fabiola stood at the airport window with tears streaming down her face, watching the plane rise into the clouds until it disappeared.
Her phone buzzed a minute later.
Ben: I'll love you across oceans. Wait for me.
She smiled through her tears.
Fabiola: Always.