Chapter 14: Can Create a future

Luca

The next morning, as I walk to work, I can’t shake the memory of last night. Every detail, every word, every glance between us plays on repeat in my mind, filling me with a quiet joy that I’ve never felt before. For the first time, I feel like I’m truly moving toward something real, something that matters.

When I arrive at the diner, I’m greeted by the usual chaos of breakfast rush, but even that can’t dampen my mood. As I go through the motions, my thoughts keep drifting back to Elliot, to the way he looked at me, the way he made me feel like I could finally be myself.

By the time my shift ends, I’m practically counting down the minutes until I can see him again. We’ve made plans to meet at a park after his classes, and the thought of being with him, even just for a few hours, fills me with a sense of excitement I can’t explain.

When I finally see him, sitting on a bench with his notebook open, I can’t help but smile. He looks up as I approach, his face lighting up in a way that makes my heart skip a beat.

“Hey,” he says, standing up and pulling me into a quick hug. “I missed you.”

I laugh, trying to play it cool, but I can’t hide the grin spreading across my face. “It’s only been a few hours.”

“Yeah, but it felt like longer,” he replies, his gaze soft. “Come on, let’s walk.”

We start strolling through the park, our conversation easy, natural, as if we’ve been doing this forever. Every now and then, our hands brush, and each time, I feel a little thrill, a reminder of everything that’s changed between us.

As we walk, we talk about our film, about our future, about the things that scare us and the things that keep us going. And with every word, every shared laugh, I feel my walls breaking down a little more, letting him in, letting myself be seen in a way I’ve never allowed before.

For the first time, I don’t feel like I’m pretending, or hiding, or waiting for something to go wrong. I just feel…happy. And as terrifying as it is, I’m ready to embrace it, to see where this journey with Elliot might take us.

When we finally say goodbye, there’s a quiet certainty in my heart—a sense that this is only the beginning, that together, we can face whatever comes next. And as I walk home, I can’t help but feel that maybe, just maybe, I’ve finally found where I belong.

Elliot

Since that night, everything feels different. The world seems brighter, like there’s color where before there was only gray. Even the mundane parts of my life feel infused with new energy. I find myself looking forward to every moment I get to spend with Luca, feeling like I’m part of something meaningful for the first time in a long time.

But that excitement comes with a creeping sense of dread, too. Being with Luca feels so right, so effortless, but every time I think about telling my parents, my stomach twists with fear. I know how they are, how they view the world in black and white. I’m terrified that the life I’ve been building with Luca will be shattered if they find out.

For now, we keep our relationship to ourselves, savoring the privacy of our own little world. I tell myself it’s enough, that we don’t need anyone else’s approval. But there’s a part of me that longs to show the world what I’ve found, to share the happiness that Luca brings me. And I know he feels it too, though he never pressures me to say anything. He just gives me the space I need, as if he understands the battle I’m fighting within myself.

A few days later, we meet up at the café after his shift, our favorite spot to relax and just be together. As we sit across from each other, sipping our coffee, he reaches across the table, covering my hand with his. It’s a small gesture, but it sends a surge of warmth through me, grounding me in the present moment.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice gentle, his gaze full of concern. “You’ve seemed…distracted lately.”

I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of everything I’ve been keeping bottled up. I want to tell him the truth, to let him in on the fears that have been eating away at me. But the words stick in my throat, too heavy to say out loud.

“I just… I don’t know how to tell my family about us,” I finally admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “They have all these expectations, this image of who I’m supposed to be. And I’m terrified that if they find out, they’ll never look at me the same way again.”

He squeezes my hand, his expression soft and understanding. “I get it, Elliot. I’m scared too. But we don’t have to rush anything. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

His words are like a balm, soothing the fears that have been gnawing at me. I look at him, feeling a swell of gratitude for his patience, for his unwavering support. “Thank you, Luca. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You don’t have to find out,” he replies, a small smile playing at his lips. “We’ll face this together, one step at a time.”

As I sit there, holding his hand in the quiet comfort of the café, I feel a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, we can find a way through this. Maybe we can create a future where we don’t have to hide, where we can just be ourselves, together.