Echoes of Us

Chapter 4: Deja Vu

"Aiah, please," Mikha pleaded, her voice trembling and echoing in the silent park. "Don't leave me. I need you. I can't do this without you."

Aiah's response was a chilling silence. When she finally spoke, her voice was flat and emotionless. "I don't love you, Mikha. I never did."

The words struck Mikha like a physical blow, each syllable a knife to her heart. She felt a crushing weight of betrayal and anguish. She reached out, but Aiah's figure began to blur, her image dissolving into the fog.

"No, please!" Mikha cried out, her voice filled with desperation. But Aiah's form grew smaller and more indistinct, retreating into the thickening mist. The park, once a place of shared happiness, now felt like a cruel reminder of what she had lost.

She awoke with a gasp, her body drenched in sweat. The dream had felt so real, so crushingly painful. As she lay back in her bed, she couldn't shake the feeling of abandonment and sorrow. The dream had left her grappling with the echoes of a painful reality she had hoped to forget, trapped in the haunting memory of a love that had slipped through her fingers.

Mikha clenched her chest once more, whispering to herself, "It's okay, Mikha..."

"It's been a while since I had those nightmares," she thought, feeling the weight of her past resurface. "Maybe it's because I saw her again." She had been on the road to recovery, slowly mending the wounds from her past. But now, it felt like the ghosts of regrets, doubts, and loneliness were creeping back into her life. She needed to keep busy, to keep her mind occupied.

She got out of bed and went through her morning routine, trying to shake off the unsettling thoughts. After brewing a cup of coffee and curling up with one of her favorite books, she felt a slight sense of normalcy. As she flipped through the pages, she tried to immerse herself in the story, hoping it would help her forget the turmoil.

A few chapters in, she realized she was hungry. She went to the refrigerator to find that she had run out of groceries. Taking this as a sign, she decided it was a good opportunity to do a grocery run. Changing into her jogging gear—part of her routine to avoid recognition—she headed out the door. Despite it being a rest day from 4U activities, she was cautious about being spotted by fans.

After a brisk 30-minute jog, Mikha stopped by a mini grocery store near her condo. She grabbed a cart and began collecting the essentials she needed. As she browsed, she spotted a pack of mixed nuts and granola on sale. The sight of it tugged at her memories of Aiah. Old habits die hard, and before she knew it, she had placed the pack into her basket.

Just as she was about to line up at the checkout, she bumped into someone. Looking up, her breath caught in her throat. It was Aiah. Her face was a picture of shock, mirroring Mikha's own astonishment. The air between them felt charged, heavy with unresolved emotions. There was no escaping this time, no Colet to pull her away.

The two of them stared at each other in stunned silence. Aiah's gaze flicked to Mikha's grocery basket and the pack of mixed nuts and granola.

"I didn't know you eat mixed nuts and granola now?" Aiah asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Mikha blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Uh, yeah, I just started eating them recently," she replied, stumbling over her words.

"I thought you hated nuts?," Aiah said, her surprise evident.

Mikha met Aiah's eyes and managed a faint smile. "I guess things can change, right? From hate to love." She offered a faint smile, the memory of their past flickering behind her eyes.

The words hung between them, charged with the weight of their shared past. Mikha's smile was bittersweet, a fleeting acknowledgment of the changes that had occurred in both their lives. Aiah's eyes softened, a mixture of nostalgia and regret flickering across her face.

The silence between them was filled with the weight of their past and the uncertain future. Mikha glanced at the mixed nuts and granola in her basket, then back at Aiah. "I didn't come here to make things awkward, you know. I just... needed some groceries."

Aiah looked at Mikha with a mixture of hope and resignation. "Take care, Mikha. I hope you find what you're looking for."

As Aiah slowly turned to leave, Mikha watched her go, feeling a mix of relief and heartache. She had faced her past, if only for a moment, and now she had to continue moving forward, carrying with her the memories of what once was.

Mikha took a deep breath and turned back to her cart. The grocery store felt suddenly more ordinary, the mundane task of shopping grounding her back in reality. As she finished her shopping and headed for the checkout, she couldn't shake the feeling that seeing Aiah again had stirred up more than just old memories. It had reminded her that while the past was a part of her, it didn't have to define her future. As she walked out of the store, she noticed a small park nearby, its benches bathed in the soft morning light.

It wasn't the same park where she and Aiah had first started their love story, but it symbolized the beginning of something special that had now come to an end. Feeling a need for a quiet moment, Mikha wandered into the park and found an empty bench. Sitting down, she stared at the mixed nuts and granola in her bag, their presence now a bittersweet reminder of her past. She pulled out her phone and, instead of scrolling through social media, began jotting down her thoughts in a journal. The act of writing helped her organize her feelings, and she began to see the encounter with Aiah in a new light.

Mikha realized that while the past was an integral part of her, it no longer had to dictate her future. She could acknowledge her pain, but she didn't have to let it control her. The mixed nuts and granola became a symbol of change—a reminder that even things she once disliked could become a part of her life in new, positive ways. 

As she walked back to her condo, Mikha resolved to keep moving forward, embracing the changes she had made and looking ahead to whatever came next. The mixed nuts and granola might have been a reminder of the past, but they were also a symbol of how she had grown, how she had changed—and how she was ready to face the future with a heart that was a little bit more healed.

"It's okay Mikha... I'm doing better."

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