Forever After All

by Catharina Maura

I stare at Elena, and I wait for her telltale sign. There it is. She blinks twice. She’s done that whenever she lies ever since she was five, and I doubt she even realizes it.

There’s no shame in loving someone with all your heart, Elena, but that love must be mutual. If you end up giving more of yourself than you get back, you’ll end up a shell of yourself, depleted, like I was. Had I walked out sooner, I might have had a different life. Who knows? I might have actually found true love.”

“I’ve spent my entire life loving people that didn’t love me back. I won’t do it again. I won’t. Not even for you.”