Lehan's grandparents had quite a story. They were the parents of Lehan's mom, who tragically passed away when Lehan was born. It was a heart-wrenching tale. His dad, left with an infant, remarried, and they had a daughter together. Now they all lived in the U.S., trying to rebuild their lives.
Lehan's grandmother narrated the story to me with tears in her eyes, her voice heavy with emotion. My heart ached for them. When I glanced at Lehan, however, he was staring at me like "Don't you dare feel sorry for me." Classic tough guy.
Eventually, grandma got discharged from the hospital. I was about to leave when grandpa invited me to their house with the enthusiasm of someone offering free cake. Lehan, standing behind him, subtly shook his head, sending me a silent "Say no, or else."
But how could I refuse a sweet old man? "Okay," I said, sealing my fate. Lehan looked like he wanted to bury himself six feet under.
We arrived at their house, and I helped grandma settle into her bed. She immediately started chatting, as grandmas do. "I've always told Lehan about you," she said warmly. "In fact, we even discussed naming him after you once. But he's probably forgotten."
Lehan's face went from mildly annoyed to completely exasperated. Before I could tease him, he declared, "I have a meeting at the office. I'm leaving."
Grandma, ever the strategist, smiled and said, "Take her with you."
Lehan's refusal was instant. "No."
I quickly stepped in. "It's fine, really. I'll just take the bus."
But grandma was a master of guilt trips. With a few gentle but firm words, she convinced him. Lehan sighed so deeply I thought he might implode, but he finally agreed.
The drive was… intense. Lehan drove like he was late for a life-or-death mission. The silence in the car was deafening, and I was starting to think he might actually drop me off at a random bus stop just to escape.
After a while, he mumbled something under his breath.
"What?" I asked, wondering if he was plotting my demise.
He cleared his throat and said louder, "Thank you for taking care of my grandparents sometimes."
I blinked in surprise. "Oh, um, it's no big deal."
Then he added, "I'd do anything to repay you."
I raised an eyebrow. "Anything, huh? Interesting. But I only have one question."
He glanced at me suspiciously. "What is it?"
"Why do you often come to the park and sit beside me? I've been dying to know."
His grip on the steering wheel tightened, and he looked like he'd rather drive into a ditch than answer. After a painfully long silence, he finally spoke.
"The first time I saw you was on your first day at work. You were sitting on the staircase, crying like the world had just ended. I'd never seen someone look so… broken. I felt bad, so I… followed you."
"Followed me?" I said, narrowing my eyes. "Should I be filing a restraining order, or…?"
He ignored my sarcasm and continued. "You went to the park and stared at the sky and stars. After a while, you smiled—a little, but it was there. I don't know why, but that moment stuck with me. So, I started driving by the park every day after work. I'd see you sitting there, looking like some philosopher lost in thought, and… it felt calming.
"Then, one day, I had a horrible day—like, 'quit-my-job-and-move-to-the-mountains' horrible. I saw you sitting there and decided to join you. And you… you didn't ask me what was wrong. You didn't talk or judge. You just let me sit there in silence. That… helped. So, I started doing it more often."
I stared at him, processing his words. Finally, I said, "So basically, I'm your free park therapy? No bill, no appointment?"
He smirked. "If you want to call it that."
I laughed. "Well, next time, I'll start charging by the hour.
I had never seen him smile before. But that day, he did. A real, honest-to-goodness smile.
When we reached the office, I got out of the car, still recovering from the shock of witnessing a miracle. Before I could process it, his secretary, Alex, appeared out of nowhere. The man had the timing of a nosy neighbor.
Alex looked between us, clearly suspicious, and asked, "Why are you two arriving together?"
Before I could even stutter out an explanation, Lehan, as cool as ever, said, "She fainted near the office, so I helped her here. That's it."
And just like that, he strode off into the building without so much as a glance back, leaving me standing there like, Excuse me, what now?!
Alex looked at me, his face full of concern, and said, "Why are you always fainting? Are you okay?"
Before I could clarify that I wasn't some Victorian damsel in distress, he whipped out his phone and called someone. After a short conversation, he hung up and turned to me with the expression of a man about to save the world.
"I have a good doctor friend," he said confidently. "We'll go to his hospital on Sunday to get you checked out. Don't worry about anything. You're going to be alright."
I blinked, utterly baffled. "Uh… thanks, but I'm already alright."
But Alex, apparently fluent in "completely ignoring me," patted my head like I was a lost puppy and said, "It'll all be fine. Trust me."
Then he walked back into the office, leaving me standing there wondering if I should laugh, cry, or file a protest.