Giel sat on the quay of the harbor, looking straight ahead, but without really seeing anything. Every now and then, he took a sip of his drink, but otherwise, he sat motionless.
Emma approached him from behind. She sat down beside him and wrapped her arm around his. He looked up for a second, but almost immediately turned his gaze back toward the harbor.
“A penny for your thoughts?” she asked softly.
He sighed deeply before answering.
“My best friend Jessie, who passed away almost half a year ago. She couldn’t find any meaning in life anymore because she was always putting everyone else before herself, and in doing so, she neglected herself. When she started having trouble with her boyfriend, things became too much for her, and she took her own life.”
He wiped away a tear at the thought of her. She had always been his best friend, and not without reason. Whenever he was in trouble or something was bothering him, he knew he could always talk to her about it.
When he had finished his story, he looked up at Emma and saw the shock in her eyes.
“I don’t know what to say,” Emma whispered. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
“I’m sorry too,” Giel said. “I should have told you this immediately instead of getting angry at you.”
He closed his eyes for a second and then felt a kiss on his cheek. He opened them again and looked at her.
She looked straight into his soul, and her feelings for him grew stronger.
“I love you,” she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.
He gently rested his head against hers, closed his eyes, and whispered in response:
“I love you too.”