THE LIGHT BEYOND LOSS

The Weight of Choices

The ride back to Åkerby for the winter break had been a quiet one. Livia had spent most of it staring out the window, watching the snowy landscapes blur past, her mind caught between two worlds: the one she had left behind at GIA and the one waiting for her in Åkerby. Home was supposed to be a place of comfort, but lately, it had felt more like a place filled with echoes of the past. Every street, every familiar face in the small town carried with it memories—of Viktor, of childhood, of who she had once been.

As the bus pulled into the small station, she let out a sigh. Winter break was supposed to be a time of rest, but for Livia, it felt like another test—a time for reflection, for facing things she had been trying to avoid for months.

Her days back home were predictable. Mornings were spent with her mom, who fussed over her with meals and constant questions about school. Afternoons were for wandering the quiet streets of Åkerby, visiting old friends and catching up. But no matter how many familiar faces she saw, it felt like something was missing. Every evening, without fail, she ended up in the maple garden—Viktor's and her spot. It was the one place where she could let her thoughts run wild without interruption. She would sit on the bench, bundled up against the cold, and stare at the bare branches of the maple tree, remembering the times when everything had been different.

It had been nearly a year now, but the weight of his absence still hung heavy over her. She often found herself thinking about the past, about what could have been, and about how the future still felt uncertain. The silence of the maple garden gave her space to dwell on those thoughts, but it also left her feeling more isolated than ever.

One evening, while she was curled up on the bench, her phone buzzed in her coat pocket. She pulled it out and saw Jonas's name light up the screen. The message was simple:

Jonas: Hey, how are you? How's the break treating you?

A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Jonas had a way of checking in at the right moments, as if he could sense when she needed a reminder that she wasn't alone. She quickly typed out a response.

Livia: It's going alright. Same old, same old. How about you?

Within seconds, another message appeared:

Jonas: It's been... eventful, let's say. Wanna chat?

She hesitated for a moment before typing back:

Livia: Sure, call me.

The phone rang almost immediately, and Livia pressed it to her ear, bracing herself for the lively chatter that always came with Jonas. He didn't disappoint.

"Hey!" His voice came through the speaker, bright and energetic. "How's life in the great Åkerby?"

Livia chuckled. "Same as ever. Quiet. Cold. You know how it is."

"Sounds cozy," Jonas replied, and Livia could almost hear the smile in his voice. "Over here, it's been non-stop chaos. John and the guys have been pulling all sorts of ridiculous pranks on the neighbors. You wouldn't believe it. It's like we've regressed back to being thirteen."

He launched into a story about one of their antics—a prank involving snowmen and spray paint—that had gotten them in trouble with the neighborhood watch. Livia listened, letting his voice wash over her, but something felt off. His words were light and humorous, but there was an emptiness beneath them, a hollowness that she couldn't shake.

"That sounds... wild," she said after he finished his story, trying to keep the conversation going. But the nagging feeling wouldn't go away. His laughter seemed forced, and the happiness in his voice felt shallow. It was as if he was covering up something deeper, something he wasn't ready to talk about.