Michael stood by the doorway, his bag resting at his feet.
Sam leaned against the wall, arms folded, trying to look normal… but his eyes said everything.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Michael let out a small breath.
"So… this is it."
Sam forced a light smile.
"Yeah. The room is about to become very boring without you."
Michael chuckled softly, but it didn't last.
Silence returned.
Heavy this time.
Sam looked away briefly, then back at Michael.
"You know… when you first came here, I thought you were too quiet," he said. "Always reading, always keeping to yourself."
Michael smiled faintly.
"And now?" he asked.
Sam shook his head with a small laugh.
"Now you're leaving me with too many memories."
That was when Michael's eyes began to sting.
He quickly blinked, but it didn't help.
Sam noticed immediately.
"Hey…" he said softly.
But before he could say more, Michael stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.
Sam froze for a second…
then hugged him back tightly.
"Take care of yourself," Michael said quietly.
Sam nodded against his shoulder.
"You too."
There was a pause.
Then Sam's voice dropped, more serious now.
"And don't let anyone make you feel like what you had wasn't real."
Michael's grip tightened slightly.
Sam pulled back just enough to look at him.
His eyes were slightly red now.
"You and Lucas…" he continued, voice softer, "that kind of love is rare."
A tear slipped down Michael's cheek.
Sam gave a small, emotional smile.
"So don't lose it, okay?"
Michael nodded, unable to speak for a moment.
"I won't," he finally whispered.
They stood there for a second longer…
before slowly letting go.
And somehow, that simple goodbye felt heavier than anything else.
The morning they left the seminary felt strangely quiet.
The large iron gate stood open as Michael and Lucas walked slowly toward it, each carrying a small travel bag.
Neither of them spoke.
The gravel beneath their shoes crunched softly as they walked across the courtyard one last time.
Students moved about in the distance, but no one approached them.
Everything felt distant.
When they finally reached the gate, both of them stopped.
Almost at the same time, they turned back to look at the seminary buildings.
The chapel tower stood tall against the sky.
The dormitories.
The library.
The football field.
So many memories lived in those walls.
Lucas let out a quiet breath.
"This place changed us," he said softly.
Michael nodded slowly.
"It did."
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then Lucas looked at Michael.
"I guess this is where we go different directions."
Michael's chest tightened slightly.
"Yeah."
They stood there awkwardly for a second before Lucas stepped forward and hugged him.
Michael hugged him back tightly.
"Call me when you get home," Lucas said quietly.
"I will."
Lucas pulled back slightly and looked at him.
"And Michael… whatever happens, don't let anyone make you feel ashamed."
Michael nodded, though the uncertainty in his eyes remained.
A few minutes later, they walked away from the gate in opposite directions.
During the journey home, Michael stared out the window of the bus.
His phone rested in his hand.
After hesitating for several minutes, he finally called his mother.
The phone rang twice.
Then she answered.
"Michael?"
Her voice sounded worried.
"Yes, Mom."
"What happened at the seminary?" she asked quickly. "Your father and I have been waiting to hear from you."
Michael hesitated.
His throat felt dry.
"I… I'll explain everything when I get home."
There was a short pause on the phone.
His mother sounded even more concerned.
"Alright," she said slowly. "Just come home safely."
Michael ended the call and leaned his head against the window.
The hardest conversation of his life was waiting for him.
Lucas arrived at his father's house late that afternoon.
The familiar building stood exactly as he remembered it.
But somehow it didn't feel the same anymore.
When he stepped inside, his father was already waiting in the living room.
His stepmother stood beside him, arms folded.
The tension in the room was immediate.
His father spoke first.
"I heard what happened at the seminary."
Lucas remained calm.
"Yes."
His stepmother scoffed loudly.
"So the rumors are true."
Lucas didn't respond.
His father's expression hardened.
"You have embarrassed this family."
Lucas felt his chest tighten but stayed quiet.
Then his father spoke the words Lucas had feared.
"If this shameful story is true, then you are no longer welcome in this house."
The room fell silent.
Lucas stared at him.
His stepmother's satisfied expression made the moment even colder.
"Pack whatever you came with," his father continued. "And leave."
Lucas swallowed hard.
Without another word, he turned and walked out of the house.
By evening, Lucas stood in front of a small, peaceful house in the countryside.
His grandmother's house.
He hesitated before knocking.
A moment later the door opened.
An elderly woman stood there.
Her eyes widened immediately.
"Lucas?"
Before he could say anything, she pulled him into a tight hug.
"Oh my boy, look at you!"
Lucas closed his eyes briefly.
For the first time that day, he felt warmth.
"I've missed you," she said happily.
From inside the house, a small voice called out.
"Is that Lucas?!"
His little brother came running excitedly toward the door.
"Lucas!"
Lucas smiled for the first time in hours and hugged him.
Inside that small house, he felt both happy and sad at the same time.
But at least here…
he was welcome.
Michael arrived home later that night.
His parents were waiting in the living room.
His mother stood up immediately.
"Michael, what happened?"
Michael placed his bag down slowly.
"It's a long story."
"Then start talking," she said sharply.
Michael took a deep breath.
And then he told them everything.
About Lucas.
About the photograph.
About the blackmail.
About leaving the seminary.
The room became silent when he finished.
Then suddenly his mother's voice rose sharply.
"So that boy was your boyfriend all this time?!"
Michael flinched slightly.
"You threw away your future for this?"
Her voice grew louder with every word.
"If you choose that boy over the seminary, you can forget about your inheritance from this family!"
Michael stood frozen.
His father sat quietly on the couch.
He said nothing.
He only stared at Michael, his expression unreadable.
The silence from him somehow hurt even more than the shouting.
Later that night, Michael went to see Grace.
She was resting in her room but smiled when she saw him.
"Hey," she said softly.
Michael sat beside her bed.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better," she replied.
He hesitated before telling her everything that had happened.
Grace listened quietly.
When he finished, she reached out and held his hand.
"We're in this together," she said gently.
Michael felt his eyes sting again.
Weeks passed.
Even though they were far apart, Michael and Lucas spoke almost every day.
They chatted late into the night.
They made video calls.
Sometimes they laughed.
Sometimes they simply sat quietly looking at each other through the screen.
The distance between them never broke their connection.
One quiet afternoon, Lucas sat on the porch with his grandmother.
She looked at him thoughtfully before handing him a small envelope.
"This belonged to your mother," she said.
Lucas frowned slightly and opened it.
Inside was a document.
His mother's will.