Mikaal

Epilogue

Two months later...

Dear Blake

There are a few things I wanted to say to you, the main one being—I forgive you. Although I'll never know why you suddenly went cold on me, although I accept that I may never know your reasons, I think back to the good times, and I think back to my certainty that you were a genuine good guy.

I don't know what changed, but I'm okay now that things did change. I'm glad it didn't work out between us because I realise now that we probably were never a right fit.

So thank you—for letting me go even though the way you did it scarred me. I'm okay now—I've found happiness with someone else.

In spite of how it ended, you were still an important part of my life—you helped me come out of my shell. I am a different person today because of you; I am a better person who understands what love is and what it is not—and what we had was not love.

You will always be in my memories, but today, I am letting you go mentally and emotionally.

Thank you for being in my life for the brief season that you were meant to be. In spite of how things ended, I still wish you well.

Dalia

Dalia folded the letter she had handwritten, sealing it in an envelope that would never be addressed, never be stamped nor sent. She had written the letter more for herself than for him; it was therapeutic, offloading the burdens of her heart that she no longer wanted to cling to. Teardrops had fallen on the off-white unlined page because she meant every word with earnestness.

When she reflected on the past year, she thought it was odd how when she lost her memories, the pain of Blake had remained ever-present in her mind although it had been over a year and a half since their break-up. What was stranger still was that her memory disorder had caused her to believe Blake leaving Perth for good was 'new' news. In addition to Mikaal correcting her during their reunion at San Churros, it was only more recently that she remembered Simon's statement during their study break about how Blake had left long ago. To think she had relived the pain she should have been long past when Mikaal came into her life...

Dalia had read once that our pasts continue to affect our future as long as we cling onto them, even if subconsciously, so she knew it was time to truly let go—which was only possible if she could forgive.

She let out a long and contented sigh thinking about the past couple of months of bliss with Mikaal. In between catching up on their studies, they had decided to just enjoy each other's company—in secret for now. They more than deserved some time to be happy and in love.

But as she thought about the hurdles ahead, facing her family and her former best friend, she knew the lesson of forgiveness she had learnt with Blake was a lesson she would need to repeat with these people who were still dear to her heart.

Dalia knelt down and pulled out her keepsake box she hid under her bed, sliding the letter through a gap between the random bits she had kept over the years—handwritten letters, greeting cards with messages she treasured and small gifts and trinkets.

Buzz

She closed the rectangular container adorned in a shimmery navy-blue exterior before reaching for her phone on her bed. Her eyes widened when she saw the name. She hesitated, uncertain if she wanted to hear what he had to say.

Dalia took a deep breath, deciding not to run anymore. She had to face her fears—the lesson Ardelle had reminded her of that led to her learning the truth about Mikaal.

She swiped on his name on her phone's screen, from left to right. The Messages app slowly launched. Black print in a grey speech bubble came into view.

"Hey Dalia. I don't know if you still have my number but... I know I've made some big mistakes. I was wondering if we could meet sometime? -Blake"

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Woooohooooo, we made it!!!! It's a WRAP!!!!

Well, sort of... It is the end of Book 1 of the Mikaal soap opera :P

Book 2 is in the works...

I hope it has been an enjoyable journey, dear readers. I cannot thank you enough for your support, your love, your comments that fired me up, your hearts/likes/votes!!!! Thank you so so soooooooo much!

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Much love,

-Noelle