They met at the promised place, a small café in one of the busiest shopping areas in town, their favourite place. The night was crawling in.
Two cappuccino, one was hot in a cup, one was on ice in a glass. They glanced at each other, smiles were exchanged. No one said a word for a moment until the girl took something out of her bag and put it on the table.
"For you."
"What is this?"
"Coffee bean. My sis just came back from vacation. I asked her to bring local coffee because I heard it was very good and you always love to try different coffee."
He pulled the small pouch closer to him. "Thank you. How are you?"
"I am good, as always." She smiled convincingly. "And you?"
"I am good, too."
They paused. They texted each other almost every day, but at that time, both lost of words.
"I met this girl," he said after a long moment of silence. His face was looking down; his eyes were looking at the small pouch.
"Oh...." Her heart started pounding faster. "Do you like her?" she asked.
"Yes."
There was laughing sound around the café, but they were wrapped by a long silence. Both looked at different directions, avoiding eye contact.
The girl took and released a deep breath. "Then go for it." She looked at him.
He raised his face. "What about you?"
"We tried. The last time, you said you were not ready for a commitment. I figured that meant you are not ready for a commitment... with me." She looked away.
"I am sorry."
She looked at him again, tried to give her best genuine smile. "It's okay. Now go get her or someone else will."
"And leave you? I promised to be here with you, to support you."
"You kept your promise already. Don't worry, I will be just fine. I will be here, waiting for that someone to come and get me, like what you will do to her." She paused for a while. "It's time for you to leave. We both deserve to be happy, with or without each other." She gave another smile, but even she knew that it was a fake faint smile. She drank her cold cappuccino as the ice melted already.
He did the same. He took the coffee pouch and put it inside his jacket's pocket.
They were trapped inside the long silent moment one more time. Their eyes met but only for seconds as they looked away instantly.
Finally, he stood up, though hesitantly, and then he looked at her for a long time.
She knew he was looking at her, but she just couldn't look back at him.
"I love you," he said before walking away.
"I love you, too," she said in a very soft voice, too soft to be heard by him.
They knew this day would come. They did the best they could do until they realized they were not meant to be together.
Once strangers, then friends, then lovers, then friends, then lovers, then back to friends, and soon they would become strangers again.
*****
January '19
