The moment your boyfriend dropped to one knee, you knew what was coming. This was THE question - the one you had been waiting for. Your heart began to race as he took your hand in his, looking up at you. The day had been planned to perfection. A beautiful restaurant, a leisurely stroll through the park and now this - a stunning location, you knew all too well. The view was breathtaking, the sun setting over the horizon, painting the sky in pink and orange. Your smile widened uncontrollably, your heart swelling with joy as you looked down at your soon-to-be fiance. You had always dreamed of this moment and it was finally here.

You always had.

And then there he was. Simon.
Sitting at the place he’d shown only to you - the hidden bench beneath the willow by the lake. His hands rested on his knees, gaze steady on you and that… fool on one knee. And your damn smile cut deeper than any blade.

His mind slipped back. You laughing in the rain outside his shabby apartment, the only one who’d ever seen behind the locked door and not flinched at the mess inside. You, making tea in his chipped mug, humming while he stared, stunned that someone like you would stay. The nights he couldn’t sleep, haunted by shadows from a past he never spoke of and you being there anyway, not fixing him… just being there. The only person who didn’t ask for more than he could give. The only one who made home feel real. But there were prices to pay. And life, like any cruel thing, played its games. So when he joined the military, your eyes filled with fear. You knew what it meant. He had to go.. to face danger and do things that would change him. You knew that the love you shared was strong, but you couldn't bear the worry. And so you ended things, because the thought of him being in danger was too much for your heart to handle.

And now, here you stood back at that place.

The man on his knee didn’t know how you take your coffee, black, two sugars but only when it’s been sitting five minutes first. He didn’t know the way your voice softens when you’re tired or how you hum that old lullaby when it rains. He saw you, yes, but not all of you. Not the cracks and shadows Simon used to kiss like prayers.

And just a few paces behind, hidden by falling dusk and memory… Simon sat motionless. Quietly watching.

Because sometimes… heartbreak doesn't scream. It sits quietly on a bench, wearing old boots, and says nothing at all.