Love That Wasn't Meant to Last

"Hudson, come to Adenville train station. I've come to see you."

The voice sounded familiar, as though I knew her, but she didn't say much before

hanging up.

Puzzled by this sudden call, I took the day off and headed to the train station.

After an hour-long ride, I arrived at my destination.

Watching the crowd, people immersed in their phones or queuing to board, each person seemed busy heading off to their own unknown future.

I tried calling back, but there was no answer.

As the automated response kicked in, I found myself chuckling.

It was ridiculous. Just because of a call from a stranger, I dropped everything, spent an hour getting here and wasted both time and money. And for what?

For a moment, as I stared at the information scrolling across the screen, I felt an urge to buy a ticket. Where to didn't matter. What mattered was escaping.

As long as I could leave Adenville, anywhere would do.

The thought of staying or fleeing spun around in my mind. I stood there, envying the travelers with their luggage. Some off to enjoy life, others heading to work to make a living.

But what about me? I didn't know.

They were all venturing into the unknown, but at least they had a destination. I had none.

"Hudson!" I turned around to see Sylvia standing there.

I couldn't remember how long it had been since we last met, but seeing her again, there was a strange sense of unfamiliarity.

Her makeup was more refined than before, though her face couldn't hide the fatigue and sadness, giving her an almost world-weary look. She was thinner than before. Her face looked a little smaller and less full.

Sylvia seemed like she was about to cry. Covering her face, she wiped her tears

and then ran over to hug me tightly.

"Hudson, it's been so long. I missed you so much."

Hesitating briefly, I decided to wrap my arms around her back.

We stood there, embracing each other. A few people looked at us with envy, somenoveldrama

even stopping briefly before continuing on to their destinations.

I don't know how long we held each other. Eventually, our arms grew numb, and we let go.

Sylvia wiped her tears, her eyes still glistening.

I felt as though we hadn't been apart that long, but at the same time, it felt like we hadn't seen each other in ages Seeing her again brought a strange feeling of nostalgia, as if everything had changed.

Sylvia took a deep breath. Her chest rose and fell as she tried to calm herself. She closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths before opening them again.

"Don't just stand there. Let's go. I know a nice hotel nearby. We can sit and chat there. It's tiring to stand. I still prefer lying on a bed when we talk."

I nodded and followed Sylvia out of the station.

I didn't know where she was taking me, but as long as she was leading, it didn't matter.

After a short walk, we stopped

outside a hotel. The narrow alley

walls were adorned with colorful

lights, and a sign overhead that read "Adult Goods" flashed in rhythm with the lights.

I had an inkling of what Sylvia might be thinking, but I couldn't be sure.

Maybe she just wanted a place to rest.