The Price of Unrequited Love

rain. She felt drowsy and heavy. After a hot shower

sion. She was already getting used to it. She no lon

in

She picked it up and saw it was

on August 25th. Remember to bring all your documents and mate

ar. She murmured to herself, "Only

from now had an entry: [Br

s the best birthday gi

g sure she had everything. Then she packed up all the old things sh

the items and preparing to pack th

ked, his eyes on the pil

courier to take the bags first. "I arranged for old clot

Jayde was different lately, but he couldn't quite figure out what had changed. A

artments downtown," he said, changing the subject.

Blue Sea Apartments, without her

loie's things, preparing to leave again. On impulse, she as

very single year. This year would have been the tenth year. Ten

for ten years. She wanted

ling to commit. He pushed his su

osing made Jayde's heart tremb

he love letters she had written to him. But when she opened it, the drawer was empty. She had already

and gently opened it. The yellowed pages

iform, holding her hand, sayin

phy, hanging the gold medal around her neck.

control, sending a thornless rose over to her table. He had sai

a memory etched

he would scrape those memories

d that every year on Brendan' s birthday, she would secretly draw a picture

in the drawing would be

genuinely wis

stroke, with great care. She didn

he sound of a key

om and saw Brendan stumble in.

much?" Seeing his unsteady step

naturally around her waist. The strong scent of alcohol

create some distance, but the next mome

lothes, and his burning, alcohol-fuel