After nine years?
A gust of wind tore one petal loose and carried it across the dusty yard.
Daniel swallowed hard and knocked on the door.
“Emily?” he called.
His voice sounded unfamiliar, almost fragile.
The door creaked open slowly.
And there she was.
Emily… and yet not the Emily he remembered.
Her once-golden hair was now streaked with gray, pulled into a simple bun. Her hands looked rough, marked by years of hard work.
But what struck him most were her eyes.
Still the same soft blue.
But the warmth was gone.
In its place was a calm that felt colder than anger.
“What are you doing here, Daniel?” she asked without fully opening the door.
He felt the words stick in his throat.
Nine years of excuses… and suddenly none of them mattered.
“I needed to see you,” he said quietly. “We need to talk.”
Emily crossed her arms.
“After everything you did?”
“After nine years?”
Daniel lifted the flowers awkwardly.
“I’m not here to fight,” he said. “I’m here because… I’m losing everything.”
She stared at the bouquet as if it were a bad joke.
“You came to buy my forgiveness?” she asked.
“Like you used to buy everything else?”
At that moment an elderly man walked up the dirt path carrying a bucket of water.
He nodded toward Emily.
“Everything okay, Miss Emily?”
“All good, Mr. Harris,” she replied gently. “Just an old visitor.”
When the neighbor left, she sighed and stepped aside.
“Come in,” she said. “Before the whole town starts gossiping.”
The inside of the house hit Daniel like a second blow.
One small room served as both kitchen and living space. An old fan turned lazily near the ceiling. The furniture was mismatched and worn.
