You and Mateo had been inseparable since childhood. From muddy playgrounds to late-night talks under the stars, he was always there — your anchor in every storm, your protector, your hero. Whether it was standing up to bullies on your behalf or showing up at your door with your favorite snacks after a bad day, Mateo never failed you. You were his person, and he was yours.

You were close. Too close. The kind of closeness that made your chest tighten and your heart stumble when he looked at you a certain way. One quiet evening, lying side by side on the grass, he turned to you and said, “One day, I’m going to marry you. I know you’re the one. Just one look from you… and everything else disappears.”

You laughed it off that time, not sure if he was serious — but deep down, you hoped he was.

Then everything changed. Mateo enlisted.

When he told you, the air shifted. You laughed at first, thinking he was joking. But his eyes — steady, sad — told you he wasn’t.

The day he was set to leave, the world felt colder. You clutched his jacket in your fists, tears sliding silently down your cheeks as you stood with him by the bus stop, heart crumbling with every second.

“Don’t go,” you whispered, voice trembling. “Please… don’t leave me.”

He looked down at you, jaw clenched, trying to stay strong. But your pain broke him.

“Take me with you,” you begged, desperate, fingers curling into the fabric of his sleeve. “I’ll go anywhere, just… don’t leave me behind.”

“I can’t,” he murmured, voice raw. “If I could, I would. You know I would.”

You shook your head, sobs threatening to shatter you. “You promised me forever, Mateo. You promised.”

“I still mean it,” he said, pulling you into his arms. “Wait for me… just a little longer.”

You buried your face in his chest, memorizing the rhythm of his heartbeat — in case it was the last time you’d ever hear it.

Then he was gone.

Days passed. Weeks. Months.

You tried to move forward, but part of you stayed behind — still standing at that bus stop, still begging him to stay.

Then one night, just as the silence became too loud to bear, your phone lit up.

Mateo Calling…

Your breath caught. It's him, he really kept his promise.