Days later, Luna appeared at Adrian's door.
Elara opened it to a tall woman with long hair and a composed, graceful poise.
"Hello, I am Luna. I am here to see Adrian," the woman said politely.
The name struck something in Elara's memory. She remembered Emi mentioning it once. Adrian's ex-girlfriend, the one who had left after the accident. A quiet tension settled in her chest. So this was her.
"Please come in," Elara said, her voice steady though her pulse quickened. She led Luna inside, then turned toward the stairs, only to see Adrian already coming down, his movements calm and deliberate, as if he sensed who was waiting below.
"You have a guest," Elara said softly.
Adrian nodded once. "In the living room," he said, his tone unreadable.
Elara guided Luna to the sofa, brought out drinks, and quietly left the room, though her thoughts lingered there.
"How have you been, Adrian?" Luna asked.
"I am fine," he replied evenly. "Why are you here?"
Luna folded her hands in her lap. "I went to the United States after I left. I met doctors there. Before I left, I got a copy of your medical report. I found compatible corneas in the States. I came to take you there for transplant surgery."
Adrian's expression remained calm. "You are the same as before. You decide first and ask later."
"I did all of this for you," Luna said quickly. "I could not forget you after I left. I kept searching for a donor until I found one. We should go as soon as possible."
"Please leave," Adrian said, rising to his feet.
"Do not be stubborn," Luna said, her voice trembling slightly. "Think of your parents, of everyone who cares about you. Give us one more chance."
"What makes you believe I want to be with you again?" Adrian asked, his tone quiet but unyielding.
Luna's composure faltered. "I know I was wrong to leave when you needed me most. Please give me another chance. Let me prove I truly love you."
"Please go," Adrian said again and turned toward the stairs.
"Think it over," Luna said quickly. "I will come again tomorrow. The corneas are ready. You know they cannot wait."
He did not respond.
In her room, Elara stood still, her chest tight. Emi's voice echoed faintly in her memory. "She still calls sometimes. Maybe she regrets leaving."
When the sound of the front door closed, Elara slowly opened her bedroom door. The house was quiet again, but the air still felt heavy. She stepped into the hallway and saw Adrian sitting on the sofa, his posture still and tense.
For a moment, she hesitated, unsure if he wanted company. Then she gathered her courage and walked toward him.
"Adrian," she said softly.
He did not respond right away. His hands rested on his knees, fingers clasped together tightly. After a pause, he said, "She hasn't changed."
Elara came closer and sat beside him. "You mean Luna?"
He nodded. "Always deciding for others. Always believing she knows what is best."
There was no anger in his voice, only quiet exhaustion.
"She said she found compatible corneas," Elara said carefully. "Are you thinking about it?"
Adrian leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable. "I should be grateful. She probably thinks she is helping me. But all I could think of was how familiar it felt, her deciding my life for me again."
Elara looked at him, her tone gentle. "You do not have to accept her help if it does not feel right. If you choose surgery, let it be your decision, not hers."
He turned his face slightly toward her voice. "You always sound certain about what you say."
"I only speak honestly," she said.
He gave a faint smile. "When she left, I thought I had stopped caring. I thought I could live without feeling anything."
Elara's chest tightened. "And now?"
"Now, I am not so sure," he said quietly.
Her breath caught, the stillness between them deepening. Before she could find the right words, Adrian stood. "I am going to rest for a while."
"All right," she said softly, watching as he turned toward the stairs.
*****
The next morning, the doorbell rang while Elara was tidying the living room.
She wiped her hands and went to open the door. A familiar face greeted her.
"Good morning," Luna said politely. "I am here to see Adrian."
Elara's heart sank. She hesitated, then nodded. "Please wait a moment."
Turning toward the stairs, she called out, "Adrian, you have a guest!"
There was a pause before his voice came from upstairs. "Who is it?"
"It's Luna," Elara replied.
For a moment, there was silence. Then Adrian's calm voice answered, "Tell her to wait. I am coming down."
Luna moved gracefully toward the sofa, her presence composed but insistent. Elara followed quietly, uneasy but trying to remain professional.
Within minutes, Adrian appeared, moving with steady precision. He stopped near the sofa, sensing Luna's presence before she spoke.
"Adrian," Luna said softly, her voice carrying both hesitation and longing. "I wanted to see you again."
Elara quietly stepped back, her hands clasped in front of her. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," she said, though she doubted either of them heard her.
She lingered near the doorway as their conversation began.
"Why are you here again?" Adrian asked.
"I wanted to talk to you. About yesterday," Luna said. "I still mean what I said. I came to take you to the United States. The surgery is ready, Adrian. You can see again."
Adrian's tone was calm but firm. "I already told you, Luna. I am not going."
Luna's voice trembled. "You would turn down the chance to see again? You're being stubborn."
"I am being honest," he said quietly. "You cannot erase what happened by offering me something I never asked for."
Luna drew a shaky breath. "I made a mistake leaving you. I thought I could move on, but I was wrong. Please, Adrian. Let me stay by your side again."
Adrian's expression remained steady. "You chose to walk away. I learned to live without you. That is enough."
Then Luna's voice lowered. "Is it because of her? The woman who opened the door?"
Elara froze at the edge of the kitchen.
"No," Adrian said after a long silence. "This has nothing to do with her."
Luna let out a trembling breath. "I will not give up. When you can see again, you will remember what we had."
Without another word, she turned and left, the soft click of the door echoing in the quiet house.
Elara took a deep breath and stepped into the living room. "She's gone," she said softly.
"I know," Adrian replied. He leaned back against the sofa, his expression unreadable.
Elara hesitated, then walked toward him. "Are you all right?"
"I am fine," he said, though his voice carried a weight she could not ignore. "Thank you for calling me down."
Elara gave a small nod. "Would you like some tea?"
He smiled faintly. "Yes. Tea sounds good."
She turned toward the kitchen, her steps slow. As she began to prepare it, her thoughts drifted back to Luna's question and his answer.
That evening, the house was quiet again. Adrian sat alone in the living room, one hand resting on the arm of the sofa, the other loosely holding a half-finished cup of tea. The faint clink of porcelain was the only sound until Elara returned from the kitchen.
She set a fresh cup of tea on the table in front of him. "You didn't drink much of the last one," she said softly.
He gave a faint smile. "I was thinking."
"About her?"
"About everything," he admitted. "About what it means if I say yes… and what it means if I don't."
Elara sat down beside him, her movements quiet and steady. For a moment, neither spoke. Then she said gently, "I think you should go."
Adrian's head turned slightly toward her voice. "You think I should accept Luna's offer?"
"Yes," she said, her tone calm but sincere. "Not because of her. But because of you. Because of your parents. They've waited so long for you to have another chance. You said once that if you could see again, the first thing you'd do would be to look at them and tell them you're sorry."
Adrian was silent.
Elara continued, "Maybe this is that chance. Not for Luna, not to make her feel better. But for yourself, and for them. You don't have to forgive her, but you can still take what she found and make it yours."
He let out a slow breath. "You make it sound simple."
"It's not," she said quietly. "But sometimes the hardest choices are the ones that bring the most peace."
He smiled faintly. "You always know what to say, don't you?"
"Not always," she replied. "But I do know I want to see you happy."
Her words hung in the air, soft but unmistakable.
Adrian reached out, his hand brushing the edge of her sleeve before resting lightly on her wrist. "You've done more for me than you realize," he said.
Elara's pulse quickened at the warmth of his touch. "Then do this," she said softly. "For your parents. And for yourself."
Adrian turned his head slightly toward her voice. "And if I do… what happens to you?"
Elara's throat tightened. "When you recover, you won't need a caregiver anymore."
He didn't speak after that. But his hand stayed where it was, his fingers tracing the back of hers lightly, as if trying to remember what it felt like to hold on to something that mattered.
"After the surgery," he said quietly, "things will change."
Elara looked at him, her heart tightening. "They would," she said softly. "But for the better."
He turned his head slightly toward her. "You'll leave when I no longer need you."
"I promise I'll stay until you come back," she said firmly. "You'll have your parents and Luna there, and Rowen and I will be here when you return. You can focus on your recovery without thinking about anything else."
Adrian's brows drew together. "You mean that?"
"I do," she said. "You've spent enough time facing things alone. This time, you don't have to."
He was quiet for a moment, then said softly, "You always sound so right."
"I'll be here," she promised, her voice trembling just a little. "No matter what happens."
For the first time that day, Adrian's expression eased, a quiet peace settling over him. He leaned back slightly, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"Then I think I'm ready," he said at last.
Elara smiled softly, her eyes glistening. "Good. That's all that matters."