Such is life: We lost 20 precious years, but our time has come!
My name is Emma Cooper, and I live in the picturesque town of Ashford, where the quiet streets are surrounded by lush greenery. I never became his beloved; fate never gave us the chance to be close as a couple. But he, my Alex, plunged into love time and again, only to have his heart broken by women. For twenty years, we lingered near each other, and only now, as our youth fades, life has shown mercy to us.
It all began in our second year of secondary school when Alex joined our class. New, shy, with an open heart, he caught my eye immediately. Seven months later, he fell for Lisa, our fellow classmate—spirited, cunning, with a mischievous smile. She pretended to feel the same, played him like a puppet. She even introduced him to her parents—who were over the moon about this “nice boy.” Yet behind his back, Lisa was having an affair with the most popular guy in school, Tom. Alex turned a blind eye to the truth until he caught them together at a party at her home. But even then, he didn’t leave—he stayed her shadow, her cover. Lisa’s parents thought Tom was a troublemaker and forbade her from seeing him, and Alex was their “ideal son-in-law.” He shared her with another and endured. I, his friend, listened to his excuses, his tears, his pain. This went on for years.
Then came Natalie—sweet, cheerful, but not ready for serious life decisions. Alex dreamt of a family, of children, and when she said “yes” to his proposal, he believed it was forever. But on the morning of their wedding, she disappeared—didn’t put on the dress, didn’t step through the church’s doorway, she was just gone. Alex fell into despair. I was there—already a colleague, a right hand at work. I saw how he buried his pain in his job, swearing never to fall in love again. But then came Olivia—the life of the party, funny, easy-going. Everyone loved her, and it seemed she loved everyone too. Alex loved her without hesitation. Then he found out: she was expecting someone else’s child. The father appeared at the birth but didn’t acknowledge the baby. Alex, however, gave him his surname, raised him as his own. Olivia cheated again and again, but he endured it all—for the child, for the love that burned within him. Until she shocked him: she invited him to be the godfather at her wedding to a new man. Alex agreed—staying to care for her son, forgiving her flakiness.
Next was Marina—demanding, like a capricious princess. She made him take her to restaurants, bring breakfast in bed, arrange luxurious holidays. For three years, he catered to her whims, until she threw a fit on a plane due to an hour’s delay. Right there, mid-flight, she dumped him, yelling that he wasn’t worthy of her. And after her, there was Holly—jealous to the point of madness. Alex—loyal, devoted—never gave her a reason. Yet she hated me, his friend. We worked together, were as inseparable as siblings. Holly demanded he quit—because of me. Said he spoke of me too often at home. Yes, we spent our days together, but there was nothing beyond friendship. I loved him secretly, but he never saw it. I had a boyfriend, Mike, who knew my heart was taken. He accepted it, lived with me, as if waiting for a miracle. Meanwhile, Alex entered new relationships, believing in their sincerity. And so we parted ways for ten years.
Ten years later, we bumped into each other at a café in Ashford town square. Time stood still. We talked for hours, laughed, reminisced. I hadn’t married, and neither had he. Over these years, he had gone through three more fruitless relations, and I had separated from Mike—he found the one who gave him her all. I had waited for Alex. “I won’t find real love, someone to share my life with. Seems I’m not meant to,” he said, staring into his empty cup. I couldn’t hold back—I grabbed his hand and kissed him. He pulled away: “What are you doing? Don’t out of pity!” Pity? I pitied only myself—for the years of silence. “Alex, don’t you see? I’ve loved you since school!” I burst out, trembling. He froze. Admitted he had loved me too, but saw me only as a friend, feared to ask, feared to ruin what we had. We lost twenty years due to this blindness.
Now we’ve been together for 22 years. Just the other day, our daughter, Lisa, shared that she’s in love. Her boyfriend—kind, sincere—I see how he adores her. What did I say to her? “Don’t wait twenty years like we did. Live your love now.” Alex and I missed so much time, but our moment arrived. And I’m grateful for every day beside him—for his kindness, for his heart that searched for me for so long in others’ arms. Life is harsh, but sometimes it gives a second chance. We seized it—and we’ll never let it go.
