Echoes of Forgotten

Tallopulo Ket Walo

LISA POV

As I stepped into the apartment, I immediately noticed Jennie on the couch, her body tense, arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Her eyes were wide, fixated on me as if she had been waiting for an eternity. She looked so small, so fragile in that moment, and my heart clenched painfully in my chest.

I had only been gone for a little while, but it was clear that Jennie had been counting every minute—maybe every second. The raw fear in her expression was unmistakable, and I could see how hard she was trying to hold herself together.

I had left her before, abruptly and without closure, but this was different. Now, I had come back. I had promised her I would.

The room was quiet, save for the soft sound of my footsteps as I walked toward her, my arms full of the things I had grabbed from my apartment. I saw the way her shoulders slumped slightly, as if the tension was finally starting to leave her body. She had been so scared I wouldn't return.

"I told you I'd be back," I said softly, offering her a small smile as I set my things down by the door.

She didn't say anything for a moment, just stared at me as if she was trying to convince herself that I was really here. I could see the relief in her eyes, but it was tinged with something else—something deeper. Something that made my chest feel tight and my heart ache.

Jennie had always been strong in her own way, but seeing her like this, vulnerable and scared, made me realize just how much she had been holding in. She had been putting on a brave face for so long, pretending she could handle everything on her own. But now, seeing her like this, I understood just how much she had been suffering.

I walked over to her, standing close but not touching her. I didn't want to overwhelm her, but I needed her to know I was here.

"You don't have to worry," I murmured, keeping my voice soft and steady. "I'm not going anywhere."

She looked up at me, her lips parting slightly as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. I saw the flicker of hope in her eyes, mingled with fear. She was afraid to believe it. Afraid that I'd leave again, just like before.

As I stood there, watching her, my heart softened in a way I hadn't expected. All the anger, the hurt, the resentment I had carried for so long—it wasn't gone, but it didn't feel as heavy as it once did. Maybe I wasn't ready to forget everything, but I could feel something shifting inside me.

Jennie was still Jennie. Despite everything that had happened, she was still the person I had loved, the person I had cared for more than anyone else in this world. And seeing her like this, vulnerable and broken, made me realize just how much I still cared. Maybe more than I had allowed myself to admit.

I took a slow breath, letting the realization sink in. I wanted to give us one last shot—one real shot, without all the pain and baggage of the past hanging over us. But this time, it had to be different. We couldn't rush back into things the way we had before. We had to take it slow, to rebuild the trust that had been shattered.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I could try.

"We'll take it slow," I whispered, more to myself than to her, but Jennie's eyes flickered with curiosity. "We'll try... but we'll take it slow."

I didn't know if she understood what I meant, but I could see the shift in her posture, the way her shoulders relaxed just a little more. She was still nervous, still scared, but there was something else there now—hope.