Almost a Fairy Tale

When she arrived at the café, Son took out her notebook and pen. Although she was born in a technologically advanced era, she had a deep preference for vintage things; for her, writing her thoughts on paper was a special way to connect with herself and see her ideas take shape. In that space, Son began to pour out her feelings, admitting the things she had done wrong, acknowledging what she could have done better, and what she should have avoided.

However, when she finished writing, she realized that wasn't enough; what she really needed was to find solutions and make decisions that made her feel good about herself, without thinking about anyone else: not Erika, not Rodrigo, not Lizzy.

Son closed her notebook and, filled with nerves, headed straight to Erika's house. She knew there was a chance she’d run into Lizzy, which made her feel even more anxious and embarrassed. Even though she didn't consider everything to be her fault, she still felt the weight of the shame.

When she arrived and knocked on the door, Erika's mom opened it. Son, surprised and pale, hadn't considered the idea of facing her mom as well. Her mother told her that Erika didn't want to see her because she was very hurt. Son, on the verge of tears, replied, “I know, but I think I have to talk to her. I owe it to her, and she owes it to me, after so many years of friendship. And honestly, I can't let this situation ruin everything. I know things won't be the same, but at least she’ll hear my side of the story.” Finally, Erika's mom let her in, warning her to hurry because Lizzy would be back soon and she didn't want her to feel uncomfortable.

When she entered the room, Erika glared at her angrily and said, “Get out. I can't believe my mom let you in the house.” Son insisted, “I have to talk to you. You aren't answering my messages, I don't know what's going on with you, and I want to fix the problem. Or if I can't, I at least want to clear things up.”

Then Erika replied, “Look, Son, believe it or not, I understand that none of this was really your fault. Rodrigo told Lizzy everything; he told her how you always rejected him and that he was the one who insisted.”

Son, stunned by Rodrigo's confession, replied, “Yes, Rodrigo isn't lying. But what he didn't mention is that it is true—I had, or have, feelings for him. I’m not asking you to understand, but I want you to know that you are my best friend, and I want things to be like before.”

Erika, standing firm, replied, “How can things possibly be like before? What hurts me the most is that you didn't tell me any of this. We were supposed to be best friends, through thick and thin, and honestly, I feel like you betrayed me. How can our friendship continue if you clearly didn't trust me enough to tell me what was going on?”

Son nodded, accepting that Erika was right. She told her that she hadn't wanted to hurt anyone and thought she could handle everything on her own, but everything went wrong, and she ended up hurting everyone, including herself. After apologizing, Son left Erika's house.

Now, Son knew the hardest part was yet to come: she had to face Rodrigo, see him, and decide whether to put an end to everything that had happened or stay with him.