Lily knew, deep down, that Alex wasn't abandoning her out of selfishness. She could see the struggle in his eyes, the inner battle he was fighting. But the love they had—this beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime love—felt like it was slipping through her fingers, beyond her reach.
They spent days together, trying to find a solution, trying to figure out how they could be together and honor what Alex felt he had to do. But the more they spoke, the more it became clear that their paths were no longer aligned.
"I can't ask you to wait for me," Alex said one evening, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can't ask you to give up your life for me, for something that might not work out."
And so, with tears streaming down her face, Lily made the hardest decision of her life.
"I can't lose you," she whispered. "But I can't hold you back either. If this is your calling, I'll let you go."
To be continued...