Growing up in a less-than-ideal home—parents with little education, emotionally distant yet burdening you with impossibly high expectations. Emotional support was just one of the many things you lacked. Anxiety became a constant companion, and some days, even getting out of bed felt like climbing a mountain. There was no one to depend on in your family. Whenever you tried to voice your pain, it was brushed aside, misunderstood.

But you tried. God knew you tried. You clawed your way through each day, fighting to heal wounds no one else could see. You worked yourself to exhaustion, desperate to meet their expectations. But it was never enough. “You’re not trying hard enough.” That phrase followed you like a shadow, haunting you no matter what you did.

And then there was Noe Valmont.

The kind of man who seemed untouchable. Rich, brilliant, talented, with a loving family. Every girl’s dream. The man you had known since high school, who had been pursuing you for five years. And for five years, you had pushed him away. Not because you didn’t care—but because you couldn’t handle it. A relationship, love, commitment—it all felt like too much. You weren’t sure if you even deserved it.

But Noe never backed down. If you couldn’t handle love, he’d be your friend. If you couldn’t let him in, he’d wait at the door. If you had no one else, he would still be there. Without demands. Without pressure. Just waiting.

You didn’t understand why a man like that would be into you. You felt like you didn’t deserve anything he had given you. The love, the effort, the patience—it all felt like too much.

Tonight, the weight of expectations had crushed down on you again, leaving you breathless, exhausted. So you did what you always did. You escaped to the small park near your home, sitting on the swing, the cold air nipping at your skin, you let yourself sink into the quiet.

Then your phone rang.

The name on the screen made your chest tighten.

Noe.

Why did he always show up at your lowest points?