A Surprise Visit

1.

It was the fourth year of my long-distance relationship with Lucas Ramos.

For the first time, I kept a secret from him. I bought a train ticket to Washington, hoping to surprise himhed always been the one traveling thousands of miles to see me.

Clutching a carefully chosen bouquet of roses, my heart raced as I felt the handmade ring hidden inside.

On the campus of Washington University, an excited girl rushed past me.

Hurry, to the athletic field! Lucas, the campus crush, is confessing to Anna, the beauty from the art department!

I froze. The name was the same as my boyfriends.

Seeing Lucas hadnt replied to my messages, I turned and followed the crowd to the field.

Then I saw them, two figures surrounded by flowers.

Anna Hayes, I dont know when it started, but my heart has had no space for anyone else since.

I just want to tell you, Ill love you forever, until death.

The girl covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

My world went silent.

One was the man Id loved for years.

The other was my younger sister, Annathe sister Id sacrificed everything for, working day and night to support.

They stood among roses, a perfect match.

My flowers and the ring had already fallen, trampled into the mud by the crowd.

I watched as Lucas knelt on one knee, gazing at her with deep affection.

Anna, with me, youll never have to rely on anyone else again.

I blinked, my eyes stinging, struggling to comprehend his words.

So, my sacrifices had they become shackles on their love?

He continued.

From the first moment I saw you, it felt like my eyes could never truly see anyone else.

I froze, my gaze blank.

The first time they met?

I remembered. It was when I brought Anna to NYU.

Lucas had met us at the station.

That day, seeing the man outside the station, I ran to him, took his hand, and led him to Anna.

Anna, this is Lucas Ramos, your brother-in-law.

Then, smiling brightly, I looked up at him.

This is my sister, Anna Hayes. She was accepted into the NYU Art Department this year. Please look after her.

He paused, not speaking, which made me slightly confused. Lucas, whats wrong?

Only then did he snap out of it, his eyes flickering as he extended a hand to Anna.

Hello, Im Lucas Ramos. You can come to me for anything.

Anna blushed and nodded, shaking his hand. Thank you, brother-in-law.

I was a little surprised by Lucass action.

He was usually reserved, never keen on physical contact with others. Even when we first started dating, it took a year before we held hands.

Now, he was

But the thought vanished as quickly as it appeared.

They were both the people I loved most. Seeing them get along, I was happier than anyone.

At the time, I simply attributed Lucass daze to fatigue and Annas blush to shyness.

Now, it seemed, I had been foolish.

The cheers of the crowd pulled me back to reality.

I blinked, my vision blurred by the sudden welling of tears.

I watched, lost, as they embraced and kissed, unable to pull away.

My heart sank deeper and deeper into an abyss.

A girl beside me, her face flushed with excitement, shared a photo with her friend.

Finally, I can share this! I took it half a year ago, when there was that sudden flu outbreak and the whole school was quarantined.

Then, that day, I saw Lucas, the senior, buying medicine without a second thought and personally delivering it to Anna. It was so sweet!

My pupils constricted.

Yes, there had been a sudden flu outbreak half a year ago.

I had been terribly worried in another city, afraid Anna would get sick, and transferred my entire months salary to her.

Then, I suddenly fell ill myself.

That evening, waking up alone in my apartment, my body ached all over, and I felt so lonely I wanted to cry.

I called Lucas, asking if he could come stay with me.

But he refused without hesitation.

Autumn, I cant even leave my dorm right now.

He added before hanging up, his voice cold as ice.

If youre sick, go to the hospital yourself. Youre an adult, and Im not a doctor.

I felt humiliated.

Just then, my sister sent me a photo with a bag full of medicine.

Autumn, dont worry about me. The school gave out medicine. You should take good care of yourself too.

Only then did I feel relieved.

Then I sighed, sad and alone, looking at the disconnected call.

Now I understood.

Where did those medicines come from

And for whom did Lucas make those exceptions, time and time again?

The crowd around me was still cheering.

I lowered my eyes, slowly backing away, walking against the tide of excited people.

Unknowingly, I found myself in NYUs botanical garden.

There was an entire wall covered with wish sachets there.

The first time I came to NYU, I dragged Lucas here to make a wish.

Its really effective! I said excitedly, but he seemed unimpressed.

Only when he heard that did his eyebrow twitch slightly.

Effective? Fine, lets write something.

Walking to a corner, I immediately spotted the two sachets we had personally hung.

On a whim, I untied Lucass.

I wanted to see what he had written.

2.

I took down the sachet and slowly unfolded the note inside.

Ive fallen for a girl in a white dress. My heart has never beaten like this for anyone before. But there seem to be obstacles to us being together. I hope my wish comes true.

I remembered how nervous and insecure Anna was when she first got into art school.

To prevent her from being discriminated against in the art department due to financial issues, I used two months salary to buy her two expensive outfits, while I ate plain bread and noodles for two months.

One of those outfits was the white dress she wore the day I picked her up at the station.

My hand, gripping his note, slowly tightened, my knuckles cracking audibly.

It was all so absurd it made me want to laugh.

Had I just dug my own grave?

So, the obstacles he mentioned

Were they me?

No wonder Lucas had carefully protected the note that day, not letting me see it.

It wont come true if you look. Dont worry, its definitely about you.

At the time, my heart had been as sweet as honey.

Thinking this, I slowly knelt down and untied my own sachet.

Now, every word on it felt like it was mocking me.

I hope to grow old with Lucas Ramos, and I hope my sister is safe and healthy.

My breathing instantly became ragged.

My heart felt like it was being pricked by countless tiny needles, the pain making my face pale.

Then I closed my eyes, put both notes in my bag, and threw the sachets into the pond.

Just then, my phone chimed.

It was Lucas, finally replying.

Youre in Washington!

The exclamation mark didn't convey excitement, but rather impatience and guilt.

I didnt reply, instead walking out of the botanical garden towards the campus exit.

But at a corner along the way, I saw the two of them, sitting by the lake, leaning into each other, embraced.

What about Autumn? Anna twisted her hands, her eyes downcast, looking a bit anxious.

Lucas pursed his lips, reaching out to gently pry her fingers apart and rub them.

Anna, if your sister truly loves us, if she considers us the most important people in her life, then she shouldnt stand in the way of our love.

Itll be okay.

Anna looked up, her eyes full of apprehension.

Really? But Im truly afraid of hurting Autumn.

Lucas cupped her face and kissed her, his eyes overflowing with a love I had never seen directed at me.

Hush, leave everything to me. You dont need to worry about any of this.

I leaned against the wall, utterly broken, a dull ache in my chest.

My fingers dug into the plaster, drawing tiny specks of blood.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Lucas.

Sweetheart, Im quite busy with graduation approaching. You go back first. Ill come find you after everything is settled.

I tugged at the corner of my mouth, finding it laughable.

I turned and left.

It was midday, and the scorching sun made my head swim.

Unconsciously, my mind wandered, and I found myself at Central Park.

There was an undeveloped area there.

Lucas, Anna, and I had buried three time capsules there once.

We had promised to dig them up ten years later.

Now I knew there wouldnt be another ten years for us. Since I was already here, I might as well dig them up.

With that thought, I ducked under the fence and walked alone to a large tree.

Three small stones were still piled on top, our marker from that year.

I kicked them away mercilessly and began to dig with my bare hands.

Opening the time capsule, mine contained a photo of the three of us, Annas painting, and the crystal ball Lucas had given me the day he agreed to be with me.

Opening Lucass, I found a red bracelet. Opening Annas, I found an identical one.

Ha

My gaze solidified, filled with a sense of desolation.

It turned out to be a solo performance all along.

I stood up, my head suddenly light, my vision darkening.

With a thud, I collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.

3.

I had a dream.

I dreamt of my parents, constantly fighting and even hitting each other when I was a child.

Whenever this happened, I could only hug a weeping Anna, huddling in a corner, covering her ears and saying,

Dont be scared, big sister is here.

Later, they divorced, each remarried, and had other children.

Anna and I became orphans.

I practically raised her myself, dropping out of school to wash dishes in a restaurant just to support her.

And it was during this time that I met Lucas Ramos.

That day, a group of drunk men grabbed me, insisting I drink with them.

I had just turned eighteen, never experienced anything like this, and trembled uncontrollably.

But this only made the drunkards more interested.

With lewd expressions, they started grabbing at me, their hands roaming my body.

I cried out to the boss for help, but he simply ignored me.

Just as they were about to drag me into their car, a young man on a bicycle appeared and knocked down the man holding me.

The man on the ground roared in anger.

Where did this nosy kid come from! Youre looking for a fight!

Drunk courage fueled him, and he actually grabbed a wine bottle from nearby, smashing it fiercely towards us!

My body instantly stiffened. I could only watch, paralyzed, as the bottle came closer and closer.

Bang!

The anticipated pain never came. The young man stood in front of me, blood from his forehead trickling down his pale cheek onto my hand.

The men, seeing this, feared trouble and quickly fled.

You, youre bleeding! I cried, looking at the suddenly limp figure, my heart aching with worry.

Im fine, he struggled to stay conscious, Dummy, after all these years, youre still such a crybaby.

I had no time to wonder how he knew me, only thinking to call 911.

Outside the operating room, I couldnt figure out where I had seen him before, but the soft, continuous ache in my heart was unfamiliar to me.

Thankfully, the surgery was successful.

I stayed by his side all night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

The next morning, he finally woke up, and his first words were, Crybaby, Im fine.

Buzz. My eyes suddenly widened.

Its you, the big brother from South Gate Street who gave me candy?

He chuckled. Its me, but Autumn, were the same age. No need to call me so old.

I felt a little embarrassed, trying to ignore my increasingly erratic heartbeat.

Later, he would always hold me when I was overwhelmed and helpless.

With me, well take care of your sister together.

Autumn, all you need to do is love me well. Ill take care of everything else.

Falling for him, and then succumbing, almost became inevitable.

My phone suddenly vibrated violently, waking me from my dream.

I opened my eyes, realizing I was in a hospital.

Reaching for my phone, I saw messages from Anna and Lucas.

Sister, are you in Washington? Where are you? Why didnt you come to see me? Ill come to you?

Where are you? Why arent you answering? Your sister is worried.

I didnt reply to any of them.

My mind was a jumble, I truly didnt know how to face them.

Bed 32, remember to pay the bill.

A nurse called out from the doorway.

I nodded quickly, took out the IV drip, and walked towards the payment counter, holding it in one hand.

Im pregnant now, what should I do?!

Annas sobbing voice came from the patient room beside me. My steps faltered, and I froze in place.

Through the crack in the door, I saw Lucas holding Anna tightly in his arms.

Anna, if you want to keep the baby, Ill definitely take responsibility. Well get married right away, and Ill handle your sister.

If you dont want to keep it, Ill find the best doctor.

Annas tears flowed like rain.

But whether I keep it or not, Sister will definitely find out! Then Ill

Lucass eyes reddened, filled with guilt.

Its all my fault. I really couldnt control myself that day, Anna. Ill definitely convince Autumn.

My mind buzzed.

The whole world suddenly fell silent, I could only hear my own heart, almost stopped.

My steps stumbled, I almost fell to the ground.

They actually

I raised my hand to my stomach, my eyes stinging.

A year ago, there had been a tiny life here too.

When I found out, I was overjoyed and immediately told Lucas.

But he suddenly pulled me close, his eyes complex.

Autumn, this child He paused, his tone then becoming non-negotiable.

We cant have it now. Its too early. Can we talk about it later?

It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over me from head to toe.

My smile froze on my lips.

He hugged me, then casually arranged for the surgery, and the baby was gone.

And because of the hurried surgery, I developed a chronic illness.

Now, every time my period comes, the pain is unbearable.

Thinking this, my steps were unsteady, and my body bumped against the doorknob, making a loud clang.

The two inside froze, then quickly turned around.