It’S Me Again
Chapter 24's

Ivy mused on the balcony of her Paris apartment, her gaze blankly on the blue sky that seemed to have no end. He thought after moving to Paris he could easily forget Michael, but it turned out to be a big mistake.

After a few months ago, Michael, her lover of four years, left her all of a sudden. He feels broken. He could not understand why Michael had suddenly made that decision. Every night, he yearns for Michael's soft voice and the warmth of his body embracing him. However, now she must accept that Michael has left her even married to someone else.

Lisa, her best friend, hugs Ivy from behind and twists her gently towards him. "I know it's hard, Ivy, but you have to look at reality. Michael's gone and never coming back."

Ivy shook her head and closed her eyes. "I know," he said weakly.

"Maybe you need some time to recuperate" Lisa added. "But you have to try to get up and get on with your life. You can't keep lamenting about losing you."

Ivy just kept quiet, not wanting to think about anything. His life has changed drastically since Michael left. They plan to build a future together, but now it's all just a memory. Ivy was too tired to cry again, and her heart felt empty.

Lisa tries to distract Ivy from her grief. "You know, I remember when we first met Michael. You looked so happy then."

Ivy smiled a little. "Yes, I remember that too."

"And now, you must go on with your life without him. But you're not alone, Ivy. I'm always there for you."

Ivy grabbed Lisa's hand and held it tight. "Thank you, Lisa. I know you're always there for me."

Ivy tries to look for new things during her move to Paris, but whenever she sees romantic scenes around her, like a couple walking holding hands or a couple kissing in front of a florist shop, she finds herself in the middle of the night, he felt sick and lonely.

One day, Ivy and Lisa take a walk around the city of Paris as they pass by a flower shop. Ivy suddenly remembered that Michael always gave her flowers when they met. She felt hurt that she would never get flowers from Michael again.

Lisa realizes that Ivy is contemplating something. "What are you thinking, Ivy?" ask Lisa.

Ivy took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I remember Michael. It's always weird for me to be in this place without him."

Lisa raised her hand and grabbed Ivy's hand gently. "I know it's hard, Ivy. But you've made great progress so far. You are learning French, looking for a new job, and trying to rise from your grief. It's not all that easy."

Ivy turned towards Lisa with a face full of sadness. "But why does my heart still hurt?"

Lisa understood. "Because you love her, Ivy. And losing someone you love is hard. Time will cure everything. And one day, you'll see that you can be happy again without Michael."

Ivy took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. "I hope so, Lisa."

"That's it, Ivy," said Lisa, grabbing Ivy's hand. "We have to face the fact that Michael has left you.”

Ivy looked at Lisa with a face full of sadness. "I can't understand, Lisa. Why would he leave me?"

Lisa stroked Ivy's hand. "Maybe this is not the time to look for answers. Importantly, you must accept reality and begin your healing process."

Ivy nodded, trying to calm herself down. But his heart still hurts, and he misses Michael more than anything.

"Thank you, Lisa," Ivy said, crying.

Lisa grabs Ivy's hand and holds it tight. "I'll always be there for you, Ivy. You don't have to go through this alone."

A few weeks later, Ivy returns to her quiet, quiet apartment. She felt empty without Michael by her side. He sat on the sofa and stared blankly, trying to figure out a way to overcome his grief.

Suddenly, his eyes were fixed on a photo of Michael hanging on the wall. He grabbed the photo and hugged it tightly, trying to find a little memory of the life they shared together.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Ivy picked it up and looked at an unknown number.

"Hello?" he said, his voice hoarse from crying.

"Ivy, it's John. I'm a friend of Michael's."

Ivy feels weird. He had never heard of John before.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are" Ivy said.

"Michael talks a lot about you. I want to see you" said John.

Ivy hesitates. He doesn't know what to do. But he felt like he had to face his past and start the healing process.

"All right," he said at last. "We can meet at the cafe near my apartment."

Moments later, Ivy sits in a small cafe, waiting for John. He was nervous and could not wait to meet her. He did not know what to expect from this meeting.

Finally, John arrives and sits at Ivy's desk. He introduced himself and started talking about Michael.

"We've been friends since we were kids" John says. "We grew up together and supported each other in our lives. But when Michael moved to New York, we lost contact.”

John took a deep breath and took out a small box from inside his pocket.

"Michael gave this to you" said John. "He always talks about how great you are and how important you are in his life."

Ivy opened the box and found a gold ring inside. She reminisced about the time Michael gave it to her, and her heart was filled with sweet memories.

“But, isn't Michael remarried?” Ivy asked in wonder.

“Married? How do you know that? I just know that he loves you so much, Ivy. I don't know what happened between you guys, it's just that I wanted to give this to you, something that Michael used to leave me.” Obviously John.

John patted Ivy on the shoulder gently. "You know, Ivy, Michael always wanted you to be happy. He always wants what's best for you."

Ivy nodded.

"Maybe Michael's not by your side right now, but your love story doesn't end here" John says. "Your love story with Michael may have ended, but you can still build your own future.“

"Thank you, John," he said. "You make me feel better."

John smiles. "No problem, Ivy. I just want to help you get better and move on with your life."

Ivy felt overwhelmed. He felt like he had found a sincere friend and who cared about his happiness.

While walking home to his apartment, Ivy ponders John's words and looks over Michael's ring. He knows that he will never forget Michael or the love they shared together, but he also knows that he must go ahead and seek happiness in his life.

When Ivy arrives at her apartment, she enters the living room and looks at the photos of Michael stored on the bookshelf. He pondered for a moment and then decided to move the photos to a box and store them in the closet. He knew that he could not continue living in grief and that he had to start a new chapter in his life.

He sat down on the sofa and looked blankly. He felt sad and empty, but also felt hope and awareness that there was a better future waiting for him. In her heart, she knew that she would always miss Michael, but she also knew that she had to go ahead and look for happiness in her life.