Elios

Eva was lying on the couch in her spacious apartment. The warm light of a desk lamp softly illuminated the room, creating the illusion of coziness, though inside her, a void raged. On the coffee table sat a mug of long-cold coffee, and her phone vibrated quietly, reminding her to answer the call.

She glanced at the screen: Nicki. Squeezing her eyes shut, she sighed and reluctantly pressed the answer button.

“Well?” her friend began without greeting, her voice so impatient that Eva couldn’t help but smirk slightly.

“Tell me, how did the date of the century go?”

“Do you really want to know?” Eva rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling.

“Of course! I need to know how much wine to buy to cheer you up.”

“Then get a case.” Disappointment seeped into her voice. “Nicki, it was a circus. We sat at a restaurant; he told me about his business idea, I shared my impressions of my latest photo shoot, and then…”

“And then?”

“And then he left…”

Silence hung on the other end of the line. Eva could imagine Nicki trying to restrain herself from saying something unprintable.

“Left? Just like that?” her friend finally asked, clearly suppressing her anger.

“Yeah. Said something like, ‘We’re just too different.’ You know, I’m used to things not going as planned, but this… this actually surprised me a little.”

“Eva, listen to me carefully,” Nicki’s voice rang with determination. “That idiot simply doesn’t deserve you. Period. Don’t you dare think this is your fault!”

“I don’t,” Eva replied softly. Then she lowered her gaze as if trying to hide her thoughts. “It’s just… sometimes I want to meet someone who sees just me, and that’s enough for them.”

Nicki exhaled.

“Eva, you’re one of the most genuine people I know. If they can’t appreciate that, it’s their problem. By the way, your birthday is coming up, so stop sulking.”

Eva couldn’t help but smile. Nicki always knew how to lift her spirits, but this time, the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“A birthday is the last thing I’m looking forward to. I just want peace and quiet.”

“Yeah, right. Too bad I can’t promise you that. We’ve got something… very interesting planned for you.”

“Nicki, I beg you, no surprises.”

“Too late,” Nicki shot back, her voice so cheerful that Eva couldn’t help but laugh lightly. “You’ve been working so much lately that we thought we’d make your life a little easier.”

It was true. After winning a regional photography contest, a flood of clients had practically fallen into Eva’s lap. It was great but overwhelming. She wasn’t used to this pace, this attention.

“At least give me a hint,” Eva asked with a smile.

“Nope. Be patient. All I’ll say is that this gift will change your life.”

Eva grimaced.

“Please tell me it’s not skydiving.”

“Have I ever dragged you into anything like that?” Nicki asked with mock offense.

“Fair point. But you’re scaring me.”

“You’ll thank us later. Anyway, don’t ruin your evening. Have some tea, put on a movie. Goodnight, darling. And remember, there are plenty of guys out there, but I’ve only got one you,” Nicki said warmly.

“Goodnight.”

Eva placed her phone on the table and rubbed her face with her hands in exhaustion. The date had left a mark. An unpleasant one, but one she was almost used to by now. She felt a twinge of regret. Mark had seemed promising—confident, charismatic, and apparently someone who knew what he wanted. And it wasn’t her.

What was wrong with her?

“We’re just too different.”

What did that even mean? Was she too unattractive? Too boring? Too… what?

Her thoughts drifted back to Nicki. A surprise. She didn’t like surprises. They carried too much uncertainty and too many opportunities for disappointment.

She got up, walked to the window, and looked out at the city below. Somewhere far below, cars hummed along the road, their headlights flickering in a silent symphony. Everything seemed so ordinary, so predictable.

“Change your life,” she repeated softly, staring into the darkness.

“Well, we’ll see,” she whispered with a faint smile, lost in her thoughts.