A Year Later

Val sat at his desk, staring at the flickering cursor on his phone screen. The message was almost ready, the words that had been bottled up for a year now flowing out onto the screen like a release valve. His heart raced. This wasn’t just any message—it was a message to Maria, the girl who had once been everything to him. The girl who had ghosted him, leaving behind nothing but silence and unanswered questions.

It had been a year since Maria had stopped reaching out. A year since the last time they’d spoken, when she’d suddenly pulled away, leaving Val in a cloud of confusion. At first, it had hurt. A lot. But over time, he’d come to terms with the silence. He’d spent months trying to move forward, trying to find peace with the idea that maybe she had moved on—maybe she had found someone else.

And yet, here he was. Still thinking of her, still wishing her well on her birthday. He knew that he missed her, and maybe that was something he would always carry with him. But he also knew that this message wasn’t about rekindling something that had faded away—it was about acknowledging the love that once was and finding closure, even if it didn’t come from her.

Val’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, rereading the message one more time:

“Hello,

Happy Birthday. It’s been a year since we last spoke, and I’ve come to terms with that. I don’t know where life has taken you since then, but if you’ve found someone new to love, I truly hope they bring you the happiness and peace you deserve. You mean a lot to me, and I only want the best for you.

If you were to ask me if I miss you, the answer would be yes. I miss everything about you — your smile, your eyes, your presence. But I understand that things have changed, and we can’t be together. The memories we shared will always stay with me, and they’ll always have a special place in my heart.

Happy birthday again, and please know that I care deeply for you and wish you nothing but love and joy in your life.”

He hesitated. His thumb hovered over the send button, uncertainty lingering like an ache in his chest. Could he really send this? Could he handle whatever came next, whether it was her silence, her anger, or her indifference? Or, worse, what if she replied, and it wasn’t the response he hoped for? The possibility of heartbreak felt like a weight on his shoulders.

Val leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath. He had spent a long time wrestling with these emotions. He knew he was risking his heart. But then, what was the alternative? To never say anything, to let her memory fade without giving her the words she deserved? No. He couldn’t do that. Even if this message was the last thing he ever sent to her, he needed to express it.

Maria had been a part of his life. She had mattered. She still mattered, even if things had changed. And maybe, just maybe, by reaching out, he would be able to take the first step toward moving forward.

He pressed send.

The Aftermath

Days passed, and the message to Maria lingered in his mind, replaying over and over. Each time Val thought about it, his heart skipped. What if she hadn’t seen it? What if she had ignored it? What if she was with someone else now, and his words were just another reminder of something lost?

Maria had been through her own struggles. Val knew that. He had always tried to be there for her, even when it felt like she was pulling away. And he wondered, in the quiet moments of reflection, if she ever thought of him the way he thought of her.

Still, he couldn’t stay trapped in the past. He couldn’t remain in a loop of wondering what could’ve been. He had his own life to live. Yet, the message he had sent was more than just a note of farewell; it was an offering of peace.

Val wasn’t expecting anything from Maria. If she didn’t respond, if the silence continued, he’d be okay with it. He was at peace with what had happened between them, and he was learning to be at peace with the idea that sometimes love wasn’t enough to keep people together. People changed. Life moved on. And so would he.

A Message Returned

It was the morning of the 15th, two weeks after he’d sent the message, when his phone buzzed unexpectedly. Val’s heart skipped a beat. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but there it was—her name on the screen.

His hand shook slightly as he opened the message, his mind racing with a mix of hope and fear.

The message was simple, but for Val, it felt like a wave of both relief and pain:

“Hi Val. Thank you for your message. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I just want you to know that I’m okay. I’ve moved forward, and I hope you have too. You’ll always have a place in my heart, and I wish you the best. Take care of yourself.”

Val stared at the screen, his breath caught in his chest. It wasn’t what he had hoped for, but it wasn’t an ending either. It was a message of respect, of acknowledgment, and of moving on. There was no promise of a future together, but there was peace in it, a sense that Maria had truly found her way, and maybe, just maybe, so had he.

With a heavy but hopeful heart, Val leaned back in his chair. The journey of love wasn’t over. It had only just begun—for both of them.