The unexpected return of a lost love
Under the dim light of the moon, there are stories that are not told in plain sight. They are stories of emotions rooted in time and silence, of connections that, like the phases of the moon, appear and disappear. The secrets of the moon guard the intensity of what once was, and also the acceptance of what will never be.
Camila and Luis met at a party with mutual friends one night in June. From the first exchange of glances, they knew there was a special, almost magnetic attraction. They talked for hours that night and discovered common interests, dreams that aligned, and an ease in understanding each other like few other times in their lives. The next few days, all they wanted was to spend more time together.
The months passed with the same intensity, between impromptu outings, dinners, movies and deep conversations that lasted until dawn. Their families knew them, their friends already considered them a stable couple, and although they never spoke about it openly, they both imagined a future together.
Then, one day, Luis received an unexpected job offer. It was an opportunity he had been waiting for for a long time, but it meant going abroad for at least six months. When he told Camila, the emotion in his voice was mixed with the fear of what that could mean for them. They looked at each other in silence, aware that the distance would test their relationship. However, he decided to try and make a promise to keep in touch and wait for each other.
At first, everything worked. Every morning, there was a good morning message, and every night they logged on to talk, share details of their days, and remember how much they missed each other. Camila did her best to adapt to Luis’s absence, and even began to plan visits, although work and responsibilities made it difficult for her to find the right time to do so. He, for his part, threw himself into the new environment and, between work and the excitement of the experience, began to immerse himself in a routine where the days seemed to fly by.
Over time, the routine distanced them. Video calls became shorter and shorter, messages shorter, and responses more spaced out. Sometimes, at the end of the day, Camila realized that she didn’t have much to tell him, and Luis began to run out of time to respond. What was once a burning desire to keep the bond alive was now a kind of silent commitment. Time and distance were not forgiving.
Camila tried not to think too much about what was happening. She kept telling herself that it was normal, that it was only a few months, that when Luis came back, everything would be like before. But there were times when I couldn’t help the sadness and frustration that came with loneliness. He was beginning to wonder if the wait was really worth it, or if he was clinging to an ideal that would slowly fade.
Six months later, Luis returned to the country. By then, the messages between them had lost the frequency and excitement of before, and although both were still in contact, neither enthusiastically mentioned their reunion. When they met at the airport, the hug was warm but short, and despite the kind words, there was an awkwardness he couldn’t ignore.
They decided to meet a few days later at a cafe they used to frequent. Camila arrived first, and while she waited, she found herself nervous like the first time she had met him. When he appeared, the conversation was easy at first; They remembered happy times and caught up on their families, work, and friends. However, between words, they both began to notice that the enthusiasm of those memories was not enough to fill the space that time had created between them.
When they remained silent, Camila broke the ice. “I guess time changes things… and it changes us too.” Luis nodding, trying to find a way to express what he felt without hurting her. “We never stopped being important to each other, Cami, but maybe this time has made our lives take different paths.”
In that moment, Camila understood that, although it hurt her, he was right. During those six months, they had both grown in different ways, and now that they were face to face, it seemed that what had once brought them together had been left in a past that could no longer be returned to. They said goodbye at the door of the cafe, with a long hug, filled with a mixture of nostalgia and farewell. They both knew that this was a final goodbye, although neither dared to say it out loud.
That night, when she got home, Camila felt a mixture of relief and sadness. I knew I had lost something important, but I also understood that sometimes it is better to let go of what can no longer be.
With the moon as a witness, they understood that not all stories are meant to last. Sometimes life is about embracing those memories and letting them go, about accepting that some secrets only live under the moon, where they remain intact, even if the world around them changes.
