Serena stared at the name on her phone screen for a long time. Her heart pounded uncontrollably. That name—the one she had buried deep in her memory—suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It had been almost a decade since she last received a call from this person: her father.
Beside her, Iril also fell silent. She could see the shocked and shaken look on his best friend's face. Even though she was very close to Serena, she knew very little about her family. As far as she could remember, the last time Serena mentioned her parents was back in their college days.
Iril thought Serena wouldn't pick up the call. But she was wrong.
"Hello..." Serena answered,
her voice trembling slightly. Her hand gripped the phone tightly, as if trying to hold back the tremor in her chest.
There was no reply. Just the sound of heavy breathing from the other end. Serena frowned, checking her screen to make sure the call was still connected.
"Hello..." she repeated, a bit firmer this time.
But the only response she got was the beep of a disconnected line. Silence filled with questions.
Her brows furrowed even more. She didn't know what to feel. Should she be sad? Angry? Or maybe relieved? She wasn't sure anymore. She had long buried any hope she had for her family—especially after they forced her to marry Andre.
"Are you... okay?"
Iril asked softly, full of concern.
"Yeah."
Serena smiled, though it was clearly forced.
"You know you don't have to pretend to be strong with me,"
Iril said, this time more firmly. SHe knew how Serena always tried to act calm even when she was falling apart inside.
"Ril... we're at an age where the presence of parents isn't everything," Serena replied, staring straight ahead. "At first, yeah, I was shocked. But after that... I didn't really feel anything. Seriously."
Iril just looked at her without saying anything. SHe knew those words weren't completely true. No matter how hard someone tries to hide the wounds from their family, the scars never fully fade.
They both fell silent. A silence full of things left unsaid. Because no matter how close two people are, there will always be parts of the heart that are hard to reach.
---
Elsewhere, in a distant country—Country D.
Megan stared at her husband, Brian, with teary eyes full of disappointment. She had just caught him trying to make a phone call.
"Why did you do that?"
she asked softly, but her voice was full of emotion. "The doctor said you shouldn't be using your phone for now."
Brian lowered his head. Regret was clear on his face. But the longing was too strong. Today, for some reason, he really wanted to hear his daughter's voice.
Serena.
"Who were you trying to call?"
Megan asked again, more gently this time. "If you want, I can help pass on your message."
Brian slowly shook his head. "No one important..." he whispered.
"Darling—"
"Let me rest," Brian cut her off, closing his eyes. He didn't want to continue the conversation. Not today.
Megan stayed quiet. She looked at her husband lying there with his eyes shut. A sharp glint briefly flashed in her eyes, but she quickly lowered her gaze, hiding it behind a calm expression.
"Get some rest," she said softly. Then she turned and walked out of the room.
Outside, a female assistant was already waiting.
"Madam?"
"Check the last number Mr. Brian called. I want to know who he tried to contact,"
Megan ordered, her voice cold and firm.
"Yes, Madam."
The assistant took the phone from Megan and hurried off. But before she could disappear, Megan called out again.
"Wait!"
The assistant turned around. "Is there anything else, Madam?"
"Call Alex," Megan said sharply.
"Yes, Madam."
This time the assistant really left. Megan knew the only person who could soothe her when she was upset with her husband was Alex—someone who always knew how to pamper and comfort her without asking too many questions.
---
Night fell. The sky looked the same as always, no different from any other night. But for Serena, tonight felt a little different. Not because the moon was brighter or the stars were more visible, but because of that unexpected call earlier in the day that stirred her heart.
She sat alone on her bedroom balcony. The cup of warm tea in her hand had already gone cold. Her mind was filled with memories of her parents.
Even if she claimed she expected nothing from them anymore... was that really true?
Could a child ever truly stop missing their parents?
As her thoughts drifted far away, her phone rang again. This time, a different name appeared.
Ren.
A genuine smile spread across Serena's face. She tapped the green button and answered the video call from her boyfriend.
"Hey," Serena greeted him.
Ren's face appeared on the screen, smiling warmly.
"I miss you,"
he said without hesitation.
Serena froze for a moment, then chuckled softly. The tightness in her chest began to ease. Just hearing Ren's voice made everything feel so much better.
"Why are you laughing?" Ren asked, making a playful pout. "I'm serious... I really, really miss you!"
Serena held back her laughter. Then she smiled sweetly, her cheeks slightly blushing. "Me too."
Ren's smile widened.
"I'll be home in three days. When I get back, how about we go on a trip?"
he suggested, eyes sparkling.
"Where to?"
"Anywhere you want!"
Serena thought for a moment. Then she looked back at Ren. "How about camping? At the last place we visited. It's peaceful there and not crowded."
"Deal!" Ren nodded eagerly. "Serena..."
"Hmm?"
"How was your day today?"
Serena smiled. Even though they only got to talk every three days because of Ren's busy schedule, he never forgot to check on her. He always made sure she didn't feel alone while he was away.
"Of course I'm doing fine. How about you?"
"I'm... not doing fine."
Serena immediately frowned. Her smile disappeared, replaced by a worried look.
"Why? What's wrong, Ren?"
"I'm not doing fine... because you're not here with me."
Serena froze, then blushed deeply. Even after dating for months, Ren still had a way of making her nervous and shy.
"Ren!" Serena protested, covering her face with both hands.
Ren chuckled at her reaction. He loved teasing her because her responses were always so adorable.
"Ah... if only I could keep her in my pocket," Ren thought.
"Serena..." Ren called softly.
Serena lowered her hands, her cheeks still pink. "Yes?"
"When I get back, spend all your time with me."
His words were simple, but his gaze was deep. Full of longing. Full of love.
Serena looked back at the screen. Her eyes sparkled too, filled with the same hope.
"Okay..." she replied softly, but with certainty.
Just one word, but it was enough to warm Ren's heart. He stared at Serena's face on the screen and knew—no matter what happens, as long as they still had time to look into each other's eyes, everything would be okay.
---