dried flowers

Ethan stood at the edge of the old oak tree, watching the leaves flutter in the breeze. The park was quiet, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the path, but his thoughts were anything but still. He had been here countless times before, in this same park, under this same tree where he and Lily had spent hours as children—talking, laughing, arguing about trivial things, and sometimes, sitting in silence, simply enjoying each other's company.Today, though, the air felt different.It had been years since they had last sat here together. Time had passed, people had changed, and yet, despite the distance, Lily was still there in his mind, haunting him with the same feeling that had clung to him since high school.He was in love with her.The realization was neither new nor surprising. It had always been there, like a quiet hum in the background of his life. It started innocently enough, in the awkwardness of adolescence when his feelings for her first blossomed, when her laughter was enough to send his heart into overdrive. He had hidden it, of course, believing that love could be one-sided, a fleeting thing that would fade over time. But it never had. It had only grown stronger with each passing year, until it had become a part of him, a part of his very soul that he could no longer deny.He had watched her from the sidelines as they grew older—watched her date other guys, watched her succeed and struggle, watched her move through life with a quiet grace that made his heart ache in ways he didn't fully understand.And now, here he was, standing under the same oak tree, hands in his pockets, struggling with the urge to finally tell her everything.Lily.He had tried to push his feelings aside, to bury them deep within himself, convinced that she could never feel the same way. But there was a spark in her eyes when she looked at him, a warmth in her smile that made him think, Maybe... maybe I'm not the only one who feels this way.The wind rustled the branches above him, and Ethan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He could almost hear her voice in his mind, could almost picture her standing beside him—her quiet laughter, the way she tilted her head when she was trying to think, the way she always seemed to know exactly what to say.He had waited too long.And now, it was time.---The sound of footsteps interrupted his thoughts. He turned, and there she was—Lily. She hadn't changed much in the years since he last saw her, except perhaps in the way she carried herself. There was a quiet intensity about her now, a seriousness in her eyes that hadn't been there when they were younger."Ethan," she said, her voice soft, the way it always was when they were alone. "You wanted to talk?"His heart was hammering in his chest, and for a moment, the words caught in his throat. This was it. He had dreamed of this moment for so long, but now that it was here, he wasn't sure he could do it.But then she smiled, that familiar, warm smile that had always made him feel like he was the only person in the world. And in that moment, all of his doubts, all of his fears, melted away."I need to tell you something," he said, his voice sounding shaky even to his own ears. He cleared his throat and took a step toward her. "I... I've liked you for a long time, Lily. More than liked you. I—I think I've always loved you."Lily's expression didn't change immediately. She didn't laugh or look away awkwardly as he feared she might. Instead, her gaze softened, as though she had been expecting something like this, but it wasn't the response he had hoped for. She took a step back, and his heart dropped."Ethan," she began, her voice quiet and steady, "I—I care about you too. You know that. You've always been my best friend."Best friend.The words stung, more than he had anticipated. He opened his mouth to speak, but she continued, cutting him off gently."But you can't love me like that," she said, her voice breaking ever so slightly. "Not the way you want to."Ethan felt the ground shift beneath his feet, the world spinning slightly out of focus as the truth settled over him. "What do you mean?"Lily took a deep breath, her eyes turning away from his for the first time. "There's something I need to tell you. Something I've been keeping from you... from everyone."A cold dread began to settle in his stomach. He stepped closer, but she held up her hand, her eyes full of a sadness that made him feel like he was losing her even before he had the chance to have her."I've been diagnosed with something... something rare," she said softly. "It's terminal. It's called Erdheim-Chester disease. It's a rare form of systemic histiocytosis. I... I won't be around for much longer, Ethan. Maybe a few years, at best."The words didn't register at first. He stared at her, blinking, as if trying to make sense of the jumble of sounds that didn't belong in his reality."No," he whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. "No, that can't be...""I'm sorry," she interrupted. "I didn't want you to know like this, but I couldn't keep it from you anymore. I didn't want you to love me, not when I don't have much time left. I couldn't bear it if you fell for me and... and had to watch me disappear."Ethan stood frozen, the air thick with the weight of her confession. His chest ached, and he felt a coldness creeping over him that had nothing to do with the evening air. It was as if the very foundation of his world had crumbled away."Lily, I..." he began, but the words failed him. How could he explain what he was feeling? The love he had carried for so long suddenly felt like a burden, a weight that threatened to pull him under.She stepped forward, reaching out to touch his arm. "Please, Ethan," she whispered. "I can't let you do this. I can't let you love me knowing what's going to happen. I can't ask that of you."A bitter, painful truth settled in Ethan's heart: no matter how much he loved her, she had already made her decision. And there was nothing he could do to change it.---As she turned to leave, Ethan stood rooted to the spot, the echo of her footsteps the only sound in the quiet park. The wind picked up again, and a single leaf from the oak tree fluttered down and landed at his feet.He picked it up, staring at the fragile thing in his hand, and wondered how long it would take before everything between them was nothing more than a memory.The weight of unspoken words hung in the air around him, and for the first time, Ethan understood the true meaning of silence.