Wildflower

"Do you know why wildflowers are so lovely?" he asked, his voice soft but carrying a depth that made me pause.

I traced the rim of my coffee cup, feeling the porcelain cool beneath my fingers, but the tightness in my chest remained. I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze, but I managed a quiet "Hmm," just enough to acknowledge his question.

"They grow where others can't," he said. "In hard, rugged places. Places no one expects them to. And when they've had enough, they disappear for a while. But they always come back. Even more beautiful than before."

His words wrapped around me, each one sinking deep. They disappear... The phrase echoed, hitting me harder than I expected. I didn't speak, lost in the weight of what he was saying. The world around me blurred, the hum of the café fading as I focused on him.

Then the bell above the door jingled, pulling me back to reality. I blinked, only to find him gone. My heart sank. His absence was like a shadow, leaving an emptiness in the space where he'd just been.

I glanced around, hoping to find him, but there was no trace. Just the same clinking cups and murmurs of conversation. I swallowed hard, trying to fight the tears that threatened to spill. His words-They disappear-resonated in my mind.

I wanted to run after him, to call his name, but I couldn't move. The weight of his absence kept me frozen. I couldn't chase him. Not this time.

The silence around me felt louder than the conversation ever had, and I wondered what his words really meant. Was it about me? About him? Or something else entirely?

I stayed there, holding onto the feeling he left behind, and tried to make sense of it all. Maybe, someday, I'd understand. But for now, all I had were the words and the ache of something that had barely begun.