Across the Miles of Love

Chapter 3: Shadows of Yesterday

Lena stared at her phone long after Ethan hung up, her mind swirling with the sound of his voice still echoing in her ears. Could this really be happening? After all these years, all the pain, all the unanswered questions—he was suddenly back in her life, opening doors she had locked away.

Her apartment felt too small, too suffocating. She grabbed her coat and rushed out the door, needing air, needing space to think. As she wandered the bustling streets of New York, she couldn't shake the memory of Ethan's words: There are things you deserve to know.

What things? What had been kept from her all this time?

The next morning, Lena sat across from Sara at their favorite café, her hands trembling as she stirred her coffee. Sara watched her with concern, her normally playful demeanor replaced by seriousness.

"So... he called you?" Sara asked, leaning in closer.

Lena nodded. "He said there are things I need to know. I just... I can't stop thinking about it. What could he possibly mean?"

Sara's expression softened. "Lena, this is what I was trying to tell you. I think there were things happening back then that you didn't know about."

Lena's brow furrowed. "Like what?"

Sara bit her lip, hesitating. "I wasn't going to say anything until I was sure, but... I heard rumors that Ethan was dealing with something serious. He never told me directly, but there was something off about the way things ended between you two. I always felt like he was keeping something from you."

Lena's heart pounded. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"I didn't want to upset you. You were already going through so much." Sara sighed, reaching for Lena's hand. "But now that he's reaching out... maybe it's time to finally get the answers."

Lena leaned back in her chair, her mind reeling. Could Ethan have been hiding something all those years ago? And if so, what was it?

Days passed, and Lena still hadn't replied to Ethan's message. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, sadness, curiosity, hope. But when she opened her inbox the next morning, an email stood out among the usual work correspondence: Ethan Callahan – Personal.

Her heart leapt into her throat. She clicked on it, holding her breath.

"Lena, I know I'm asking a lot by reaching out after so long. But I need to tell you something, and I can't do it over the phone. I'll be in New York next week for a project. Please meet me. There are things I should have told you years ago. Things I should have never kept from you. I'm sorry for the way things ended, and I owe you the truth.
—Ethan"

Lena stared at the screen, her stomach flipping. He was coming to New York. He wanted to meet. She had a choice to make—face him and the past, or continue running from it.

She clicked "Reply" and typed a simple message: I'll meet you.

The day of their reunion arrived, and Lena found herself standing outside a small café in Greenwich Village, her heart hammering in her chest. She hadn't seen Ethan in person since that final, heartbreaking day in Thailand. How would she even begin to talk to him after all this time?

The door to the café swung open, and there he was. Ethan. Time had changed him—he looked older, more worn, but still impossibly familiar. His blue eyes, the ones that had once made her feel like she was the center of the universe, locked onto hers. For a moment, everything else fell away.

"Lena," he said softly, stepping toward her.

"Ethan," she whispered, barely able to find her voice.

They stood there for a moment, the weight of the years between them hanging heavy in the air. Finally, Ethan gestured toward the café. "Shall we?"

Lena nodded, following him inside. They sat across from each other at a small table, the noise of the city outside muffled by the glass walls. Neither of them spoke for a few moments, both clearly unsure of where to begin.

"I'm glad you came," Ethan said after a while, his voice low. "I didn't know if you would."

"I almost didn't," Lena admitted, her fingers nervously twisting the edge of her napkin. "I wasn't sure I could handle it."

Ethan nodded, his eyes filled with regret. "I know. And I wouldn't blame you if you walked out right now. But there are things I need to tell you—things I should have told you a long time ago."

Lena felt her heart tighten. "Like what?"

Ethan took a deep breath, as if preparing himself for a confession he'd been holding in for years. "Lena... when you left Thailand, I tried to reach out to you. I called, I wrote. But you never responded. I thought you had moved on, that you didn't want anything to do with me."

Lena frowned. "That's not true. I never got any calls or letters from you."

Ethan's face darkened. "I know. I found out later that... someone had intercepted them."

Lena's heart stopped. "What? Who?"

"Your father." Ethan's voice was filled with bitterness. "He didn't think I was good enough for you. He didn't want you tied down to someone like me when you had a future in New York. He made sure you never got my messages."

Lena's breath caught in her throat. She had always known her father was controlling, but this? This was beyond anything she had imagined. "But why didn't you try harder? Why didn't you come find me?"

Ethan's eyes softened, filled with sorrow. "I wanted to, but... something happened. Something I didn't tell you about."

Lena leaned forward, her pulse quickening. "What happened, Ethan?"

He hesitated, his jaw tightening as he looked down at his hands. "I found out after you left that... you were pregnant."

Lena froze, her mind going blank. "What? No... that's not possible. I would have known."

Ethan shook his head. "You didn't know because... your father made sure you didn't. He kept it from you. He thought a child would ruin your career, your future. So he... had you sent to a clinic without your knowledge."

Lena's world spun as the weight of his words crashed down on her. "No... no, that can't be true."

Ethan's voice was thick with emotion. "I found out years later. By then, it was too late. The clinic... they made sure you never remembered."

Tears streamed down Lena's face as she tried to process the impossible truth. "And the child? What happened to...?"

Ethan looked away, his voice breaking. "We have a daughter, Lena. She's alive. I've been raising her."

Lena gasped, her heart shattering. "What?"

"She's eight years old. Her name is Sophia. I didn't want to keep her from you, but your father threatened me. He said he'd destroy my life if I ever told you. I didn't know what to do... so I stayed away. But I couldn't anymore. You deserve to know."

Lena's whole body trembled as the reality of his words sank in. She had a daughter. A child she never knew existed. A child Ethan had been raising on his own for eight years.

"How... how could this happen?" she whispered, tears blurring her vision. "How could they do this to me?"

"I'm sorry, Lena," Ethan said, his voice filled with regret. "I tried to protect you, but I didn't do enough. And for that, I'll never forgive myself."

Lena felt a wave of emotions—anger, sadness, and a deep, aching love for the child she had never met. Her life had been built on lies, and now, everything had changed.

"I want to see her," Lena whispered, her voice trembling.

Ethan nodded, his eyes filled with hope. "I want you to. She's been asking about you for years. She knows about you, Lena. She knows you're her mother."

Lena's breath caught in her throat. She had a daughter. A daughter who knew she existed, even when she didn't know about her.

The weight of the past, the lost years, the lies—all of it was too much. But in that moment, as she sat across from Ethan, she realized that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance to heal the wounds of yesterday.