I had built a fortress around myself, brick by brick, with no towers or knights to protect me. Just the mundane routines of life: a beeping microwave, the smell of apples from my daughter’s lunchbox, and the sound of dried-out markers scratching against paper. I raised my daughter alone, her father disappearing when she was just three years old. There was no time for tears; rent needed to be paid, clothes washed, and fevers battled.
As my daughter grew older, she moved away, started a life of her own, and only called every Sunday to share stories of her adventures. I smiled every time, proud of the person she was becoming. But as I sat in my quiet kitchen, holding my chipped mug, I felt the weight of loneliness. No more ponytails bouncing through the hallway, no more spilled juice to clean. Just silence.
That’s when my best friend Rosemary burst into my life, like a glitter bomb in a church. “Sign up for a dating site!” she exclaimed, stomping into my living room in heels too high for logic. I laughed, but she was determined. We created a profile, and I was surprised to find a message from Andreas58, a man from Greece with a quiet smile and a garden full of olive trees.
Rosemary was thrilled, but I was hesitant. What if he was a bot from Pinterest? What if this was all just a wild goose chase? But as we exchanged messages, I felt a connection. He told me about his garden, the sea, and baking fresh bread with rosemary. And then, he invited me to visit him in Paros.
I was torn. Part of me wanted to take the chance, to leave my fortress behind and see what lay beyond. But another part of me was afraid, afraid of the unknown, of getting hurt. Rosemary sensed my hesitation and encouraged me to take the leap. And so, I booked a flight to Greece, with a mix of excitement and trepidation.
As I stepped off the ferry in Paros, the sun hit me like a warm slap. The air smelled different, not like home. I followed the blue dot on my phone screen, my heart pounding in my chest. What if he wasn’t there? What if this was all just a weird dream?
I paused at the gate, took a deep breath, and rang the bell. The door creaked open, and I was surprised to see Rosemary standing there, barefoot and wearing a flowing white dress. “Hello,” she purred. “You came? Oh, darling, that’s so unlike you! You said you weren’t flying. So I decided… to take the chance.”
It turned out that Rosemary had created my account, taught me everything, and taken the initiative to meet Andreas. I was shocked, but as I looked at Andreas, I saw the confusion in his eyes. He explained that Martha had already arrived earlier, but… I blurted out that I was Martha. Rosemary tried to cover, but I knew I had to set things straight.
Over dinner, I subtly questioned Rosemary, exposing her lies. Andreas was charmed by her at first, but as the truth came to light, he turned to her and asked to see her passport. The game was over. Rosemary’s smile cracked, and she stormed out of the house, leaving Andreas and me alone.
We sat on the terrace, drinking herbal tea, and the night wrapped around us like a soft shawl. Andreas asked me to stay for a week, and I looked at him, wondering what the future held. “What if I never want to leave?” I asked. He smiled, and his eyes sparkled. “Then we’ll buy another toothbrush.”
And so, I stayed. We laughed, baked buns, picked olives, and walked along the shore. I felt alive, and I felt… at home. Andreas asked me to stay a bit longer, and I wasn’t in a rush to go back. The silence between us was comfortable, and I knew that I had found something special.
