Chapter 1
Ana sat on a park bench with a book in her lap, but her gaze kept drifting. When he walked by, their eyes met—warm and accidental, enough to make her heart race. Her imagination took over instantly. Their hands brushed while turning the same pages, followed by a long, wordless embrace filled only with silence and a soft sigh that said more than any words could.
They walked slowly toward her home. He insisted on walking her back as night was falling. Ana floated with happiness, her feet barely touching the ground. At the entrance, another embrace—shorter this time, but equally warm. She hurried inside before dark to avoid her parents’ scolding. Dinner was the last thing on her mind. She lay in bed, but sleep wouldn’t come. Images of his smile, his eyes, and an imagined first kiss gently carried her away.
She woke with a deep sigh. The room felt cold, the pillow empty, and he was nothing more than a character from the romantic story she had been reading before bed.
Reality hit her like an icy shower. She got up, applied her makeup with surgical precision, and slipped into the provocative dress she had bought for occasions that never arrived. One last glance at the dating app showed only a few profiles and messages that led nowhere. Lipstick on, smile in place—and she stepped out into another day.
Work, coffee, and shallow conversations passed in the usual routine. During a break, she shared her quiet longing with her friend: “It would be nice if someone kissed me once, then held me without a word. If he called the next day even though nothing much happened the night before. Just someone who thinks of me, even for a moment—who surprises me and walks me home.”
The evening brought cold and loneliness. Wrapped in her long olive-green scarf, she walked along the empty sidewalk as winter nipped at her cheeks. Her footsteps echoed alone. No one was waiting. No one was following.
At home, she kicked off her shoes, made tea, and picked up the same book. Another evening with old romantic stories. Maybe someone would message her on the app. Maybe.
Ana gave a sad little smile to herself, turned the page, and let her imagination carry her back to a place where embraces last forever and someone walks you home simply because they don’t want you to go alone.
