Ethan
The letter slipped from Maya's hands, floating to the floor like a dead leaf.
Lila went white as chalk, her fingers trembling against the edge of the cot. Ethan felt his own pulse hammering in his ears. He'd buried that night deep inside himself, her voice on the phone, panicked and small, saying she needed him but couldn't say why. Then silence. Nothing but static after that.
Maya looked up at them, her wide eyes flickering between their faces. "Baby? You had a baby , Lila?"
"No," Lila choked out, her voice cracking. She glanced at Ethan, then away, her cheeks burning red. "It's… complicated."
"Complicated?" Ethan barked, the word slicing through the barn like a blade. His fists clenched at his sides, nails digging into his palms. "You left without a word, Lila. That's not complicated. That's cruel."
Maya backed toward the door, sensing the storm brewing between them. "I'll… go feed the kittens."
Rain drummed harder against the roof, each drop echoing like a heartbeat. Lila's jaw tightened. "I didn't have a choice."
"You always had a choice!" Ethan took a step closer, towering over her now. His voice dropped to a growl, low and dangerous. "You could've stayed. You could've told me the truth instead of running off like I meant nothing to you."
"I thought it would be better this way!" Lila shot back, her own voice rising. She gestured wildly, as if trying to grab hold of something invisible. "For both of us! My mother—"
"Your mother what?" Ethan cut her off, his tone icy. "Paid me to stay away? Made sure I never came looking for you?"
Her eyes widened, shock rippling across her face. "What are you talking about?"
Ethan cursed under his breath, pacing now. He hadn't meant to say it, not yet, maybe not ever but the words were out, hanging heavy in the damp air.
"She bribed me," he admitted finally, his voice rough. "Told me you didn't want me anymore. Said if I cared about you at all, I'd leave you alone. Let you start over somewhere else."
Lila stared at him, her expression unreadable. For a moment, there was only the sound of rain pelting the roof and the faint crackle of the old radio behind them. Then she laughed, a bitter, broken sound that made his chest ache.
"So that's it," she said softly, shaking her head. "She lied to both of us."
Before either of them could say more, the radio blared suddenly, startling them both. A weather alert crackled through the speakers: "Flash flood warning for Maple Creek. Residents advised to seek higher ground immediately."
Lila flinched, glancing toward the window. Outside, the fields were already pooling with water, the creeks swelling dangerously fast.
"I need to check the roof," she said abruptly, grabbing her coat. "The barn's old it won't hold if it leaks too much."
"You think I care about the damn roof right now?" Ethan snapped, his frustration boiling over again.
"Well, I do!" she shouted back, spinning to face him. Her eyes flashed, alive with anger and hurt. "Because unlike some people, I can't just walk away when things get hard!"
Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. He opened his mouth to argue, but before he could respond, the radio crackled again. This time, it wasn't a weather update, it was a dispatcher's urgent voice cutting through the static:
"Engine 49, respond to 12 Maple Street. Structure fire reported. Repeat, structure fire at 12 Maple Street. "
Ethan froze, his blood running cold.
"That's Judith's address," Lila whispered, her face draining of color.
"Damn it." He turned toward the door, already reaching for his jacket.
"Ethan, wait.." Lila called after him, but he was already gone, the barn door slamming shut behind him.
Lila
Alone in the barn, Lila sank onto the cot, her leg trembling beneath her. The weight of everything, the letter, the baby, her mother's lies, pressed down on her chest until she could barely breathe.
She stared at the empty doorway where Ethan had disappeared, her mind racing. How many times had she imagined seeing him again? Dreamed of explaining herself, of telling him the truth? And now here they were, drowning in secrets neither of them had chosen to keep.
The radio continued to hiss and pop beisde her, its tinny voice spitting out updates about the fire. Lila forced herself to focus, to push past the chaos swirling in her head. She owed Judith that much, didn't she? Even after everything.
But as she stood to leave, something caught her eyea sliver of yellow paper peeking out from a crack in the rafters above. Her heart skipped a beat.
Carefully, she climbed the ladder, her fingers brushing aside cobwebs and dust until she pulled free another envelope. This one was smaller, older, its edges brittle with age. Her name was scrawled across the front in Judith's unmistakable handwriting.
With shaking hands, Lila opened it. Inside was a single sheet of paper, folded neatly. She unfolded it slowly, her stomach twisting with dread.
"If you love him, leave. —Judith."
Lila's vision blurred. Tears welled in her eyes as the full weight of her mother's manipulation crashed over her. Judith hadn't just driven a wedge between her and Ethan, she poisoned every chance they'd ever had at happiness.
And now, years later, the damage was done.
Outside, the rain poured harder, soaking the earth. Somewhere in the distance, sirens wailed. Lila clutched the letter to her chest, her resolve hardening.
This time, she wouldn't run.