KYLO’S POVAfter a demanding day of meetings, I sat by myself in my office and couldn't get rid of the gnawing sensation that had been there for weeks. The chilly, deserted office seemed to mirror my own inner feeling of being alone, unsure, and completely empty. The quiet moments between tasks were becoming unbearable, and there was no escaping the persistent thoughts of Varya.It wasn’t just that our contract was about to end—though that weighed heavily on me as well—it was the way she had become distant again.The soft looks we once shared, the tentative warmth that had begun to grow between us, all seemed to vanish the moment I returned from my trip.She was slipping away from me.I stood and paced around the room, trying to focus on something, anything else. But all my thoughts drifted back to her.The way her eyes had once softened when I kissed her in public, the small smile that used to play on her lips when she thought I wasn’t looking—all of that seemed to have disappeared
There was no one in bed when I awoke; it felt so lonely without Varya beside me. It crossed my mind that she might have woken up earlier than usual – probably busy doing something mundane around the house.Still drowsy, I sat up only to realize how oppressive it felt to my breath. The silence filled my surroundings with an uninviting air.I took a look at the clock—7:00 am—later than normal. She ought to be here with me now. Rubbing my face in manual labor fashion, I shouted out her name but it sounded too loud for an empty room like this one and fell flat from a mouth deprived of hope.With that, I jumped out of bed and went wandering through our home calling for her again along corridors and rooms of living space. Nothing. The kitchen was empty, the living room untouched.No sign of her anywhere. A cold realization began to sink in. I returned to the bedroom and checked her closet—half of her clothes were gone.She had left.I stared at the empty space where her clothes used to hang
Hazy city lights were all I saw as I staggered out of the bar after the burn of whiskey had clung to my throat. I was drunk but not like the one who felt invincible; instead, I was more like a drowning man trapped in his own thoughts he wanted to escape from.Wading through thick fog felt like taking each step with rotten legs made heavy by alcohol and regret.There waiting for me was Eric; my driver. He said something maybe it was my name or anything bordering on help to get into the car but all this reached no ears as only the sound of my echoed thoughts filled up that drunken mind mess.Varya was there again pulsating through my veins like some strange rhythm reminding me of what love feels best who hurt most at birthdays and anniversaries; her absence stung so deeply past all clouds made up from drinking until one forgets about everything attractive just because they would have brought them too close again you see?All those memories remained facing you sharply hence left raw/fray
I’d never been good at admitting failure, especially not to my grandfather. He was a strong man, a successful man who would never allow himself to exhibit any sign of weakness before anybody. I was raised under his greatness and tried my best to be like him and make him proud.Right now though, there is one reality that I have been avoiding for so long; Varya is no longer mine. Now, I needed to inform this heartbreaking news to my father without having the faintest idea of what to tell him.The drive to my grandfather’s home seemed longer than normal. These days, I barely visited him at all. All along, I’ve always had some excuses for instance work engagements or meetings, and presently the whole thing with Varya.However, as I drove towards his place finally, the weight of everything that I had been hiding from him fell heavily upon me. I wondered what he would say if I told him that Varya was no longer there.How about informing him she had walked away despite his faith in marriage
The office was a cold place. Even more so now that Varya was gone. Every place reminds me of her, her joy, her smell, and how she lit up that room by just existing. I had tried staying focused; trying to work hard but it was all in vain.Every file that came to my hand every meeting wasted away without her being part of us. The vacuum inside me caused by her never really went away.When Jasmin showed up in the office that day I felt a tinge of hope flickering within me. She might know where Varya was or perhaps she could assist me locate her.I marched across the room and could feel my heart racing with trepidation. While Jasmin was chatting with a colleague, she halted when she saw me coming in her direction.“Kylo,” she responded hesitantly due to nervousness considering what I wanted to ask.“Jasmin,” I started after clearing my throat which had become an obstruction all through this time.“I require your attention for one moment.”With her consent, she followed suit inside my offi
Never before had the house felt this level of hush. It was early in the morning, yet the stillness was suffocating.The regular set of movements, as Varya moved down the corridor with whispering clothes and planks that croaked lightly—everything had vanished.In the kitchen; they were merely empty shells.I drifted unknowingly through corridors, while my footsteps echoed in silence. For some days I avoided Varya’s room, telling myself it would hurt too bad to step into it—but now I was standing in front of her door. Hesitatingly my hand hovered over the knob.I wasn’t sure if I could stand it—the memories that would hit me immediately after stepping inside. But I couldn’t avert my eyes for too long.A deep breath filled me as I turned the knob and pushed open the door.Her scent hit me instantly. The scent that used to be there is now gone. A pleasant haze filtered through the room and made me think of her as if she had just gone out for a moment, but would soon return. I knew she wou
Varya had disappeared for weeks and the silence in the house was unbearable. I couldn’t concentrate on work, or think properly.The place brought memories of her back to life – her laughter, her presence that was seldom noticed, those sneaky-hidden glances when we were not talking at all.She left my life so easily just like an air through a window that was left open; only emptiness remained.It had to stop. This was eating me up – feeling helpless without knowing where she was, what she was doing, or if she would ever be okay. It consumed me from within. Then I reminded myself that perhaps this was what she wanted.Maybe she went away because our contract expired? But even then my heart still longed for her because there was no heartache that could ever take its place… And all of this left unexplainable things on its own.No, I wouldn’t stay and wait for her return like this. I must search for her.I dialed Jasmin’s number and told him how close they had been at some point in time, b
"You..." Like a thunderbolt hitting an empty room, Grandpa’s voice boomed through the air, making people who were in the same room as him pay attention.He clutched his own shirt and seemed to be painfully holding onto it with both hands, causing his body to get twisted in a way that showed he was suffering.His fingers dug into its flimsy fabric as if he were tearing apart what belonged to him internally."Grandpa!" I called out, panic shooting through me like an electric shock. "Are you okay?"Eric and I rushed to his side, my heart pounding in my ears. We reached for him, but he batted our hands away with surprising force for a man his age."Don't touch me, you useless grandson!" he shouted, raising his walking stick and swatting at me like a fly.The sting of his words cut deeper than the blow of the cane. Normally, I'd have walked away. I'd have calmly excused myself, and let Grandpa's temper pass, but not this time.Not today. I needed him. I needed him to tell me something that
On getting there people moved faster than usual; nurses ushered me into one room after another helping me put on a hospital gown a long way.Kylo stood still near where people were turned upside down due to the speed of what was happening around them offering some comfort unlike any other distraction I might find outside pain was too much but still stuck onto this thought that everything would soon pay off.Soon, we would meet our baby.Hours passed in a haze of contractions and medical jargon, the world narrowing down to just me, Kylo, and the baby.The pain was intense, like nothing I had ever experienced before, but I refused to give in to fear. This was what I had been preparing for, what we had been waiting for.The baby was coming, and I was going to bring them into the world.Kylo never left my side, his voice a constant source of encouragement, his hand a lifeline as I struggled through each contraction.He wiped my forehead with a cool cloth and whispered words of love and re
This confidence he had in us, in our capacity to manage a new phase boosted my morale erasing my fear places.I remember it very vividly, we were watching a movie one afternoon while lying on the couch in the living room and suddenly I felt a vigorous kick. I choked on my words, putting the palm of my hand on my swollen belly.“What happened?” Kylo asked, sitting up at once.“Everything is okay,” I replied cheerfully. "The baby just kicked really hard. Here, feel."I guided his hand to the spot, and we both waited. A moment later, another kick came, this time even stronger.Kylo's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow... they're strong.""I know," I laughed. "I think we're going to have a little soccer player on our hands."He grinned, leaning down to press a kiss to my belly. "I can't wait to meet you, little one. But take it easy on your mom, okay?"I watched him, my heart swelling with love. Seeing Kylo so involved, and so excited about becoming a father, made everything feel even more s
It was rather reassuring to be back home after the whirlwind which is our honeymoon, yet at the same time it was also rather daunting.The Island was once a beautiful place where all I cared for was our presence, Kylo and I had no other distractions.But it was time for us to step back and face our day-to-day lives, my pregnancy, and everything that came with it.By then I was several months pregnant and some of the symptoms were clearly visible to the naked eye. My tummy protruded out significantly and with that some effect of carrying a child.While the honeymoon had provided respite from pregnancy, the moment we were home, pregnancy was as real as reality could get.When about the house I felt both at ease with being home though nervous about the changes happening to me and around me.It pleased me that Kylo stayed close at my side; his fingers lightly brushing over my lower back.He got more caring and thoughtful than ever; I could easily see how much he cared for me and how much
I trusted him with everything that I had: heart, future, and life. Two days later we were in a private jet, by the influence I guess Kylo had, I had no idea where we were going. Kylo was not on specifics up to that time, but I did not give it much thought. There is nothing like suspense or perhaps relying on the unknown on the person. With that, I reclined in the chair and then looked at the shrinking landscape outside the plane’s small window. Kylo leaned forward, picked up my hand in his, and I looked at him and smiled. “You’re really not going to give me any hints?” I said as calmly as I could, though my voice was visibly laden with curiosity. Kylo chuckled, shaking his head. “Nope. You’ll find out soon enough.” I pouted playfully, but I knew better than to press him. Kylo loved his surprises and I must say, I enjoyed them as well. There’s something good about not knowing what’s next, about just going with the flow and chilling. The flight went by in no time, with Ky
Those days after the wedding were as if I was on honeymoon, loved being in that state, and did not want to wake up. I might as well describe it like this; the tranquility that came over me was one I never felt before. It was as though a weight I had no idea was lifted off my back, allowing me to breathe freely once more. There was a warmth that filled my whole body in place of the constricted knots in my stomach. It is worth noting that in the beginning of the story our marriage can be described as a purely business-like arrangement, a very practical marriage of convenience. But instead with time, it had become something concrete, something lovely. The relationship that Kylo and I had was a product of the most unlikely circumstances and the complacency that I felt as I stared at the house we had constructed together could only be described as profound. It was morning, the sun was shining and the rays of sunlight started entering the room through the windows. I was now pl
Kylo went first, his voice steady as he began to speak.“So Varya,” he began glancing at my eyes all the time,“when we got married for the first time, it was a business deal between us; something that was advantageous to both of us but lacked emotional warmth typical of true marriage. I was unapproachable and even icy; I never gave you the love or respect that you deserved. But as time passed everything changed. I changed.”His grip on my hand tightened more and I could see how sincere he was from his facial expression which told me that he meant every word in every line on his face.“I fell in love with you Varya; it started off slowly before all these sudden feelings hit me. You taught me what it means to be there for someone else genuinely because one wants to change oneself for them.”“And I have caused you pain earlier but today I am making a promise as follows: To be the man whom you deserve; to love you wholly and to build a happy joyful life together based on faithfulness and
The morning of the wedding was as well fine with no clouds in the sky to disturb the blue of the day. Now I found myself back in front of the mirror in my childhood room strapped and ready for this like a kid on Christmas Eve.The dress I bought for my wedding was an off-white, beautiful lace and silk gown that fitted me to perfection. It was plain and elegant and made me feel like flowers were blooming on my dress and the garden we would be getting married in was nearby.My mother was frequently touching my face, fixing my veil in position enrollment arrangement She caught my eye in the mirror and smiled, her expression soft with love and pride.“You look stunning, Varya,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “Kylo is a lucky man.”“Thank you, Mom,” I replied, my voice trembling slightly. “I just… I want today to be perfect.”“It will be,” she assured me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Today is about you and Kylo, about the love you share. That’s all that matters.
VARYA’S POVThe day after Kylo's proposal felt like waking up in a dream. When dawn parted the curtains and let in the golden rays, it was hard to imagine that only a few hours ago Kylo had proposed to me for real.My hand went to the ring I now wore on my finger and the diamond again shone brightly against the sun, creating rainbows around the room.The moments were somewhat dreamlike and yet whenever I touched the ring on my finger I did not need anyone to tell me that this was all real. Kylo loved me.I stood up from the bed and walked towards the window and I looked outside at the city that was an unspoken character in our story, the one filled with both sorrow and happiness. This led my mind to the wedding which was now even in front of us.They were not an extension of a prior commitment, or repetition of a promise; it was the start of something fresh, of reality. And so the preparations could only be special as well.I could feel the buzz once I made my way downstairs in the ho
He had planned this event to be an entertainment for families, as well as business counterparts. The atmosphere in the room was filled with laughter, echoes of glasses touching, and music.This was ideally the environment that I wanted when I had planned the entire thing, but the feeling that swelled in my chest was almost tangible.I thought I was standing by one of the tall windows of the building looking down on the city below. The twinkling bulbs were of a high intensity and I observed it was dark like the sky at night and this made me take my eyes off it for a while.Yet, there I was thinking about Varya most of the time. It was her that made me develop nerves today and became the reason for this nervous energy in the night.She stood across the room dressed in burgundy dress which enhanced the curves of her body.She was gorgeous and although I was quite far I could notice the look of despair she was masking so well.It was a sadness that I realized that I had provoked and this