When The Rain Fall

Months passed. The chill of autumn gave way to the stark stillness of winter, and then, before Mia could fully grasp how much time had slipped by, the first hints of spring painted the city in soft greens and pinks. Life moved on, as it always did, but a part of her still lingered beneath that old oak tree, still listening for footsteps that never came.

She had tried to forget Liam. She had convinced herself she had. But forgetting someone like him was impossible. He had woven himself into the fabric of her life in ways she hadn't even noticed until he was gone.

One evening, after a particularly exhausting day at work, Mia found herself walking through the park again. The sun was beginning to set, casting the sky in shades of gold and lavender. Instinctively, her feet carried her toward the oak tree.

But this time, she wasn't alone.

A figure stood there, hands in his pockets, head tilted upward as he stared at the branches swaying in the breeze. For a moment, Mia thought she was imagining him. That her longing had finally turned into hallucination. But then he turned. And their eyes met.

Liam.

Her breath caught in her throat. He looked almost the same—still wearing that old jacket, still carrying that quiet sadness in his stormy-gray eyes. But there was something different, too. A weight lifted, perhaps. Or maybe it was just the way he was looking at her now, like he hadn't expected to see her but was grateful that he had.

Mia's first instinct was to turn away, to protect herself from the onslaught of emotions crashing into her. But she didn't. Instead, she took a step closer.

"You're back," she said, her voice steadier than she felt.

Liam exhaled, a half-laugh, half-sigh escaping his lips. "Yeah."

There was so much she wanted to say. So much she wanted to ask. Why did you leave? Where have you been? Did you think about me? But the words tangled inside her, uncertain of where to begin.

So instead, she asked the only question that truly mattered.

"Are you okay?"

Liam hesitated, then nodded. "Getting there."

He shifted on his feet, glancing back at the tree. "I had to go, Mia. I was… lost. And I didn't want to take you down with me."

Her throat tightened, but she nodded. She had spent so much time being angry at him for leaving, but standing here now, seeing the weariness in his face, she understood.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked softly.

Liam gave a small, wistful smile. "Not all of it. But I found a piece." He met her gaze. "And I realized something. Running doesn't make the past disappear. It just keeps you from finding your future."

Mia swallowed hard. "And what does your future look like now?"

He stepped closer, hesitant but deliberate. "I don't know yet. But I do know I don't want to keep running." He exhaled slowly. "And I don't want to lose you."

Her heart ached at his words, at the vulnerability in them. She wanted to tell him that she had spent so many nights missing him, wondering if he would ever come back. That she had been angry, hurt, lost in the absence he had left behind.

But more than that, she wanted to tell him that he hadn't lost her.

Not yet.

"Liam…" She searched his face, trying to decide if she was willing to take the risk. To let him back in, knowing that he could leave again. Knowing that she could get hurt.

But then she thought about the oak tree. About how it had survived storm after storm and still stood tall.

Maybe love was like that, too.

Maybe it wasn't about guarantees or promises that things would always be easy. Maybe it was about choosing to stay, even when it was hard.

She reached for his hand, threading her fingers through his. His grip tightened, warm and real.

"Then stay," she whispered.

Liam's eyes darkened with emotion, and for the first time since she had met him, she saw something new in them.

Hope.

And as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows beneath the old oak tree, Mia realized something.

Their story wasn't unfinished.

It was just beginning.