"She left this morning." Dr. Evans's words, delivered with a detached professionalism, shattered Jermain's carefully constructed fantasies. He had been so lost in his memories, so consumed by the yearning for my return, that he hadn't even noticed the therapist's presence.
Now he looked up, his eyes wide, disbelieving. "What?" he croaked, the sound raw and broken. "What are you talking about?"
The classroom, previously buzzing with the low hum of student chatter, fell silent. All eyes were on him. Cheri, who had been sitting a few rows back, shot me a look of feigned sympathy, quickly replaced by a triumphant smirk. But Jermain didn't notice her. He didn't notice anyone.
He sprang to his feet, the screech of his chair scraping against the floor an abrasive shriek in the sudden silence. "Where is she?" he demanded, his voice tight with desperation. "Where did she go?"
Dr. Evans looked at him, her expression a mix of surprise and pity. "Jermain, I can't share personal information about my patients."
"But... but she's gone?" he stammered, his mind struggling to process the information.
"She's gone abroad, Jermain," Dr. Evans said gently, her voice firm.
Abroad. The word struck him like a physical blow. A thousand miles. A world away.
"Abroad?" he repeated hollowly, his voice barely a whisper. "Where? Which country? Which city?"
Dr. Evans shook her head regretfully. "I'm afraid I can't disclose that. Patient confidentiality."
He sank back into his chair, gasping for breath, the small wooden bird, his peace offering, clutched in his trembling hand. His face was pale, his eyes hollow, fixed on my empty seat.
He fumbled for his phone, his fingers shaking uncontrollably. He opened my contact, his heart pounding with a desperate hope. He typed a frantic, rambling message, a desperate plea for me to come back, to explain.
Message failed. User blocked.
The words on the screen were a punch to the gut. He tried to call, his thumb hovering over the dial icon. The number you have dialed is not in service.
No. It couldn't be. This wasn't happening. I couldn't just vanish.
He bolted from the classroom, ignoring the stares, ignoring Cheri's concerned calls. He ran out of the school, sprinted through the streets, his legs burning, until he reached my house.
He stood on the sidewalk, gasping for air, staring up at my bedroom window. It was dark. Empty. The house was too quiet. Eerily silent.
He waited for hours, shivering in the cold, wet air, his teeth chattering.
Then, my family's car pulled into the driveway. His heart leaped. This was his chance. He moved forward, ready to beg.
My mother's face was cold, unyielding. "Jermain," she said, her voice soft but firm. "It's time for you to go home."
"Please," he choked out, his throat tight with unshed tears. "Just tell me where she is. I need to explain. I need to apologize."
My mother sighed, a long, weary sound. "There's nothing to explain, Jermain. Elia has made her decision. She's gone."
"But... but we grew up together! We had a promise!" he protested, his voice cracking. "I promised I'd be her voice!"
My mother's eyes hardened. "You broke that promise a long time ago, Jermain. Elia doesn't need your voice anymore. She's found her own." She walked past him, a cold, definitive dismissal, opened the front door, and stepped inside, closing it with a soft click.
The sound of the door closing echoed in the sudden silence, a final, definitive end to their conversation. He stood there for a long time, staring at the closed door, the weight of his actions crushing him. The cold, hard truth finally sank in.
I hadn't just disappeared from his sight. I had vanished from his life. Quietly, decisively, without a backward glance. He was left with nothing but his cowardice, his regret, and the vast, empty space where I used to be.
