Chapter 18

Rudolf's POV
I sat alone on the shore, looking at the calm ocean waves. The sound of the waves chasing each other seemed to remind me of the journey I had taken. Why was it so hard to move on when just one person could change everything?
No one knew how much I missed Mikayla, how deeply I felt for her. Somehow, even though time had passed, this sense of loss never really went away.
A few of my coworkers came over to me, trying to chat and have fun. They tried to pull me out of this sadness, but my heart was still focused on the void Mikayla had left behind. “Rudolf, come join us,” one of them said, but all I could do was smile weakly.
“Maybe,” I replied, but deep down, I felt unable to really engage. It was like there was a transparent wall around me, blocking me from all the happiness in the world.
As they left, I reflected on all the sacrifices and searches, wondering if anyone would ever lead me back down this bad path. Mikayla, where are you? Are you okay? Why can’t I find you?
Hope was starting to fade, but my heart was still fighting to stay alive. Even though it was hard, I knew I had to keep going, looking for the happiness I could find even without Mikayla. Whenever and wherever I found myself, I hoped to reconnect with the love I once desired—and maybe someday karma would bring me back to her.
“Sir, I think I saw the food delivery woman you used to like,” my secretary said, suddenly catching my attention. My heart was beating fast. Was that Mikayla?
“Wait, where?” I asked, feeling so emotional. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
“I saw her enter the store with two babies. I’m not too sure either,” my secretary replied, looking worried.
Without wasting any time, I immediately rushed to the store in question. Hope and anxiety were surging within me. Was that really Mikayla? And why were there two babies with her? Many questions were running through my mind, but one thing was for sure—I needed to make sure.
Arriving at the front of the store, I took a deep breath and calmed myself before entering. The door to the store squeaked loudly as I entered, and my eyes immediately searched for a figure that could possibly be Mikayla. Inside, the store was filled with baby supplies. When I glanced towards the back, my anticipation reached its peak. There, in the corner of the store, I saw a woman with long hair and a familiar face—it was Mikayla!
She stood with two babies in a stroller, smiling as she spoke to a salesperson. Tears brimmed in my eyes; she looked beautiful, but there was something different.
But as I stepped closer, I began to feel anxious. Those two babies—were they hers? The question haunted my mind as I turned my steps toward them. Suddenly, Mikayla looked at me, and our eyes met.
There was a moment of silence, and I could feel the world shrinking to just the two of us. “Rudolf…” Mikayla finally whispered, as if she couldn’t believe I was there.
“Mikayla!” I replied, trying to convey all the feelings I had left unsaid. “I’ve been looking for you for a year. I didn’t know you…”
“Here,” she interrupted me, hesitating slightly. “I don’t know what to say.” There was a sadness in her eyes that let me know this was a more complicated meeting than I had expected.
“Who… is this?” I asked softly, glancing at the babies in the stroller. My heart was pounding, waiting for her answer.
Mikayla took a deep breath, “They’re… my children. This is my life coming back from being away. I’m trying to start anew.”
All of a sudden, all the emotions I’d bottled up for years came flooding back; there was happiness but also deep pain. How wonderful it was to see her again, but how complicated this situation was.
“I don’t know what to do after this,” I said, my voice shaking. “I miss you so much, Mikayla. My hope to find you has never died.”
She looked up at me, her eyes filled with doubt and hope. “I miss you too. During this time, I’ve been struggling to find myself, but right now… it’s all so complicated.”
We stood there, facing each other in a meaningful silence. At that moment, I felt hope and doubt fighting between us, but one thing was for sure—I wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass me by.
“Are they my children?” I asked, my voice shaking with hope and confusion. My heart was pounding, imagining all the possibilities and what this all meant.
Mikayla looked at me slowly, and there was a doubt in her eyes that made me feel even more uneasy.
"Well, that's true. But I think our meeting was just for a one-night stand. You have a partner. I don't want to bother you and I can live with my two children," she replied, her tone full of tension.
Her words were like a bolt of lightning in broad daylight, hitting my heart. It turned out that all this time, she thought that everything that happened between us was just a coincidence and that the relationship didn't mean anything more. Seeing the disappointment in her eyes made me feel even more depressed.
Without thinking, I immediately hugged her, acting on instinct and the feelings that flowed inside me.
"Mikayla, it's not like that! You're not just a one-night stand for me. You're someone I've been looking for all this time. I don't want to lose you again!"
She was surprised by my hug and fell silent for a moment.
"Rudolf, I don't want to make your life complicated," she said, her voice shaking in my arms.
This intimacy was just a reminder of how important she was to me. “Your presence in my life was never just a moment. I sought you out because I wanted to be with you, not just once. I wanted to understand everything; about these children, about your life, about us,” I said, hoping that she could feel the sincerity in these words.