The Goodbye That Never Was

she immersed herself in work, staying late at the office and volunteering for projects no one

ully constructed walls, and every night, in the silence

her voice echoing in the emptiness.

asn't g

before. Naomi's words replayed in her mind, haunting her.

ing to support the organization. Donations, equipment upgrades-anything that cou

wasn't i

r enco

ned to the director's office. Sitting th

reeted stiffly

tanding up from her chair.

ut your donations, I think you've done

'm doing this because I want to help

care now? Where was this care years

ut kept her composure. "I know I failed you. I kno

, do you? It's not about fixing things. You can't throw m

ayla pleaded. "Tell m

voice barely above a whisper, she said, "You can't fix what

, leaving Layla standing alone in the

ade begins

a. Every time she saw the donations or heard her colleagues praise Layla's ge

one?" Naomi confided to her clo

"Are you sure that's what

id too quickly,

r you so much? You don't waste this muc

th to argue but foun

breaki

push Naomi further away. The late nights in her office grew longer, the spaces between meals

in her car, parked outside the organization's building. The rai

e muttered, her voice crackin

ice inside reminded her of why she started. Naomi was wor

wasn't don

scovers

n Naomi overheard a conversation b

ng all the donations. She even attended a meeti

ng. "What grant?" she inter

Didn't you know? Layla's company funded most of it. She didn

chless. Layla had been doing

her. Why hadn't Layla told her? Was th

mi whispered that maybe-just

confro

yla's office. She barged in wi

standing up. "What

oice trembling with a mix of emotions. "The donati

"Because I didn't want you to think I was try

y. "You think this makes up f

thing can make up for that. But I'm tryin

kly masked her reaction. "Love? Do y

ot giving up on us. It means fighting for you, even when you hate me. A

wn just yet. "You don't get to decide that, Layla. You don

breaking. "But I'm not going a

icting emotions. Layla's words lingered in her mind,

ir swirling inside her. This wasn't the end-it c