Maddie’s throat tightened. For the first time in years, she said the word she had avoided for so long. “Mom…” She choked on the word, then exhaled shakily. “I’ll come home.”
On the other end of the line, her mother’s voice cracked with relief. “Oh, Maddie… you’re finally coming back. Thank God. I’ll have your sister come pick you up immediately!”
“No,” Maddie said softly, her hand clutching her phone. “I still need a week to sort things out.”
Her mother’s tone shifted to gentle understanding. “Alright. Use this time to say goodbye properly, especially to Rico. He’s been like a brother to you for so long, taking care of you after the orphanage. If you leave without talking to him, it’ll be hard for both of you.”
“I understand,” Maddie replied, her voice faint.
When the call ended, Maddie stared at her phone. A new notification flashed:
[Rico Hughes and Jane Harper Confirmed as a Real Couple!]
The accompanying photo showed Rico and Jane locked in that now-infamous kiss. Maddie’s knees buckled as she collapsed onto the sidewalk, tears streaming uncontrollably.
***
Maddie couldn’t erase the memories. There was a time when Rico cared deeply for her. He had been her protector. He was three years older and had fiercely defended her from bullies at the orphanage. At sixteen, his brash, rebellious nature caught the eye of a film director scouting locations. The director offered Rico a way out—a chance to leave the orphanage and make something of himself.
On the day he left, Maddie clung to him, sobbing into his chest.
“Rico, don’t leave me,” she cried.
He gently held her and promised, “Maddie, wait for me. I’ll come back for you.”
True to his word, Rico returned on his eighteenth birthday, two years later. He took her in and enrolled her in an ordinary high school, determined to give her a normal life. Maddie’s world revolved around him and for years, she had believed it always would.
But as she stared at the photo on her phone, the painful truth set in: she wasn’t part of Rico’s future anymore.
To Maddie, Rico had always been her world—the one person who made her feel seen, cared for and safe. He was her salvation, the light in her otherwise dark life. So, it was no surprise that as a teenager, she fell hopelessly in love with him.
When Maddie received her college acceptance letter, she took a deep breath and confessed her feelings to Rico.