What Comes After | ✔️

Chapter 13

August 6

Leon left this morning.

We all stood in front of the front door as Leon put on his shoes and turned towards us. "Thank you for all this."

"And you're sure you can't stay?" Mom asked.

"I— I'm sorry. I just can't," he said, and his voice began to crack. "I have to go. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Mom said. "Sometimes, there are things that are just beyond our control. There's no need to apologize for them."

"I know, but it's just that I wish things were different."

"Don't we all," Mom said and sighed. "C'mon, give me a hug."

Leon and Mom embraced each other.

"Safe journeys," she said. "I hope everything's great in New Mexico."

"I'm coming back," he said. "Sometime soon."

But when they released themselves from their hug, I could tell by the expression on Mom's face that she thinks Leon might not return. Even if the government finds a way to make everything alright again, fixing up the roads and infrastructure connecting states will take years to do. And who knows what might happen during Leon's journey or what kinds of hardships they'll face.

"C'mon, give me a hug," Dad said and they hugged each other. "If you ever cheat on Mira, I'll kill you."

"No, sir, I won't," he said and blanched a bit white. But when he saw Dad's small smile, a tiny smile appeared on Leon's face.

Leon gave me a hug. Normally, I hate hugs, but this one felt different. Warmer, sadder, more final, like it was really the end.

"Stay safe," I said.

And when Leon hugged May, her last words to him were, "Don't die."

"Of course," he said with a chuckle.

Leon then hugged Grandma and Grandpa, thanking them for the wedding meals. Grandpa said a couple of things in Chinese, which Mom translated for Leon.

"It means farewell," Mom said.

The last person he talked to was Mira. They looked at each other, gazing into each other's eyes. Mira's face was flushed red, not the embarrassed red, but the red of tear-soaked cheeks of early morning crying. Leon gently touched her palm. "Please, please come with me."

"We talked about this," she said, and her voice cracked with sorrow. "I just can't."

Leon kneeled down in front of her, holding her palms. "Please change your mind. I'm begging you. Please."

"I'm sorry," she said, and tears began spilling out. "I'm so sorry."

"We should give them some privacy," Mom said. "Let's go."

So all of us moved into different corners of our house. Mom and Dad went to the garage to get the greenhouse thing working, May went to her bedroom, Grandma and Grandpa went to their room, and I sat in the living room, watching the grey skies through the windows.

I could imagine Mira and Leon's conversation. Leon, kneeling down, pleading, begging, promising everything in the world if she came with him because despite his outward optimism, even he knew that this was probably going to be the last time they ever talked to each other. Mira, holding his hands and making a sacrifice so great that I can't imagine how hard it is on her, pleading Leon to stop talking and breaking her heart, all because of a stupid lie that I told her and some pointless arguments with Mom and Dad.

And then, I could see Leon's heart breaking in his eyes as his last-ditch efforts to convince Mira to leave were ignored. I could see Mira trying to stay strong even though there's a part of her that just wants to leave. I could see them embracing for one last time— possibly the last time they'll ever do so— and I could see Leon reach into his bag and pull out a letter filled with all the things he wanted to say to her.