Not loudly.
Not violently.
But in the quietest, most painful way—
like someone who had been holding everything in
for far too long…
and finally couldn't anymore.
His head dropped lower,
his grip around my hand tightening
as if I was the only thing
keeping him from falling apart completely.
And I…
I didn't think.
I didn't hesitate.
I moved closer—
slowly, carefully—
until the space between us disappeared.
My other hand rose,
hovering for a second…
before resting gently on his shoulder.
He thought I wouldn't come back.
But I did.
The next day…
and the day after that.
I made a quiet promise to myself—
I wouldn't disappear again.
No matter what, I would show up.
Same place.
Same silence.
Same quiet presence beside him.
We never spoke.
Not even once.
Days turned into weeks,
and still, I kept coming.
Every day, I brought a small piece of chocolate with me.
It was a simple thing, almost meaningless—
but I told myself it might help,
even if just a little.
Maybe it could lift his mood
in ways words couldn't.
He never ate it.
But he never refused it either.
He would just hold it in his hand, tightly…
as if it carried something
he couldn't put into words.
One day, the sky broke.
Rain poured down heavily,
like it had been holding back for too long.
It didn't soften,
didn't slow—
and neither did he.
He just sat there,
letting himself get drenched,
as if the storm outside
matched whatever he was feeling inside.
So I sat beside him.
I didn't ask him to leave.
I didn't tell him to move.
I just stayed.
Time passed,
and eventually, the rain stopped.
The sky turned a soft orange
as the sun began to set,
and a gentle breeze carried
that fresh, earthy scent of rain.
Everything felt calmer…
lighter.
And then, a rainbow appeared.
For a brief moment,
it felt like the world had healed itself.
"You don't always have to be okay,"
I said quietly.
"There's no one here…
just us, right?"
My voice was soft,
careful not to break the peace between us.
"We sat through the storm…
and now we get to see this.
The breeze, the smell of rain,
the sky… the rainbow."
I paused before continuing.
"Sometimes, after the hardest moments…
something beautiful waits."
He didn't respond.
But the silence felt different.
The next day, I came again.
Like always.
But this time,
after a while, he spoke.
"Did you eat?"
I froze for a second,
then shook my head.
Without saying anything,
he reached into his pocket,
took out a chocolate,
and handed it to me.
"Take it," he said quietly,
before adding,
"Thank you."
It wasn't much.
But to me, it meant everything.
Then, after a brief pause,
he said—
"Don't come tomorrow."