Ren, completely confused, had Miya standing in front of him. He wanted to tell her how he felt, confess that he regretted everything and that, if she wished, he was willing to marry her. However, he couldn't say anything.
After a brief silence, it was Miya who spoke.
"Ren, I want to apologize for what I said to you that day."
"No, Miya, I'm the one to blame for everything," Ren replied, his voice beginning to break. "I truly didn't think I would ever see you again. From the day I left your house, I believed you would never appear again… and now you're here."
Ren dropped to his knees in front of her.
"Please, Miya, forgive me. I don't want to be away from you. I have no one… no one else but you. Please, don't leave me alone."
Miya, with a serene smile and a calm gaze, placed her hand on Ren's head and gently stroked it.
"Calm down, Ren. I think that now, and forever, I won't move away from you. Not even if I wanted to."
Ren lifted his gaze, still on his knees.
"Miya…?"
"Ren, we're going to be parents. You and I," she said, placing a hand on her belly.
Ren froze completely, shocked, unable to react right away.
"Then… Miya…"
"Yes, Ren. I came so I would never leave your side again."
With a joy that tightened his chest, Ren wiped away the tears still falling down his face.
"Miya, let's get married now. I don't care about anything else anymore. I don't care. I know that you and I are destined, bound by the thread of fate."
Miya did not remove her hand from her belly.
"Yes, Ren, let's get married as soon as possible," Miya said with a smile. "But first, please stop crying. Seeing you like this makes me very sad."
Ren slowly raised his face. His eyes were red and tired.
"Yes…"
After that, Ren went to take a shower to clear himself completely and feel lighter. When he returned, calmer and with a clear mind, he stood in front of Miya. He took a breath and began to speak. This time, the words didn't feel trapped in his chest. He decided to tell her everything, without holding anything back, so he wouldn't feel suffocated again.
"You know, Miya… I thought I had lost you. For days… no, weeks. I was sure I would never see you again. I went to your house every day. I knocked on the door until night fell, or until your brother appeared, but nothing happened. I stayed there, standing like an idiot, waiting for you to come out… but you never opened the door."
Miya closed her eyes for a moment.
"I know."
"Then why…?" Ren pressed his lips together. "Why weren't you there? Why didn't you tell me anything?"
Miya took a deep breath before answering.
"Because I needed time. Time to think, to calm down, to understand what I felt. When we argued, I felt hurt by the things I told you, by that silly promise…" Miya's voice broke, and tears began to fall. "Then I realized that I had to get out of that cage I had built myself to ignore you."
"You left…?" Ren frowned.
"Yes," Miya nodded. "I stayed away for a few days. I thought too much. I tried to convince myself that I could go on alone if necessary… but I couldn't. Every night on the street I thought about you. About the way you looked at me. About how you touched me so carefully, as if I were something fragile. So I came to the conclusion that you loved me the same way I loved you, and that a simple argument shouldn't separate us. Besides… there was another reason."
"What reason?"
"My period… during all that time I was away, it never came. At first, I thought it was stress, but it wasn't. Reality hit me when I had a pregnancy test in my hand. At that moment, I was scared when I realized it, but also happy. Because even in the middle of chaos, this was a sign."
Ren leaned forward and rested his forehead against Miya's abdomen.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry for everything."
Miya ran her fingers through his hair tenderly.
"Don't look back anymore. I'm here."
Upon hearing that, Ren fell completely asleep, soothed by the calm of the moment.
Miya watched him in silence. Then she covered him with a blanket and remained seated by his side.
It didn't take long before the sound of a mobile phone broke the calm.
Ren's phone vibrated on the table. Miya looked at it hesitantly and lowered her gaze to the screen. The name that appeared was immediately recognizable.
Yaina.
Miya hesitated for a few seconds before answering, but finally picked up.
"Ren?" Yaina's voice sounded tense. "Are you okay?"
Miya tightened her grip on the phone.
"Ren is asleep," Miya replied.
There was a brief silence.
"Who are you?"
Miya closed her eyes for a moment.
"Don't you remember me, Yaina? I'm his partner and very soon, his wife."
The call suddenly ended.
Miya placed the phone back on the table and looked again at Ren, who continued sleeping, unaware of what had happened.
"Everything is going to change, my darling, and this time… I won't let you go."
Chapter 24: Memories