The argument began over a minor issue — one of those little things that couples look back at later and end up laughing about it. But that particular evening, it sparked in both of them like a piece of dry firewood lighted up into flames. Their voices rose.
Jonathan grew quiet.
Evelyn grew emotional.
And in a sudden moment, she whispered the words she would later wish she never said:
“I think... I think I'm going to need a break.”
He didn't argue with her. He didn't beg or make an attempt to change her mind. He just nodded in a calm manner.
“No problem. You just do what you feel you need to do.”
She was offended by his calmness, more annoyed by it than their misunderstanding between each other that brought about their argument. She had expected him to put up a little bit of a protest; something like, “Please, don't do this...” or anything at all, to make it seem like he was afraid of losing her.
But he just remained at his spot while she walked away.
On the first day, she walked around her room uneasily, replaying the argument they had the previous day in her head. Maybe she went a little bit to the extreme. Maybe she made a mistake by asking for a break. But her pride got her lips shut.
She tried to make herself better by telling herself that she didn't care. But deep down inside, she was already missing him badly.
The next day, she got up from bed and reached for her cellphone, hoping to see a message waiting for her —“Babe, can we talk?"
“Are you still mad at me?”
But there was nothing.
Nothing but silence.
Deafening silence.
She wasn't feeling like her usual self. She missed him even though she didn't want to admit it. She missed everything about him; like how he called her name, the way he magically calmed every storm just with a single sentence.
Despite all these...she still found herself having a hard time reaching out to him.
Her feminine ego kept on whispering, “He’s the one that should call first... not you.”
On the third day, she was choked up by regret.
She found a spot by the side of her bed and sat, her heart aching as she whispered a prayer:
“Lord, I'm pleading...help us settle this.
I’m not ready to lose him.
I'm in love with him. Please touch his heart wherever he is to reach out to me.”
She sobbed quietly, wiping her eyes as she headed to work.
She kept on checking her phone at intervals, hoping to see a text, a missed call, or something. But nothing.
She tried to keep herself distracted by engaging in some tasks, getting into conversations with her colleagues, reading emails, and the rest. But no matter what she did, she couldn't get her mind over it.
By evening, she was packing her things to retire for the day when she heard her phone ring.
Jonathan.
Her breath seized.
She froze.
A thousand butterflies began to play around in her stomach.
She looked at her phone screen for some seconds as if that was the first time she was seeing that caller id. She was shocked, excited, relieved, all at the same time.
She finally picked the call to answer.
“Hello?” she replied softly.
His voice made its way through the earpiece of her phone, sounding calm and warm as always...as though they hadn't been away from each other for the past three days.
“Hey, babe... are you free this evening?”
Her heart melted. But she tried her best to maintain a cautious voice, trying to protect what was left of her pride.
“Yeah... I think so. Why?”
"Let me know when it'll be okay for me to pick you up,” he replied calmly. “I would like us to talk.”
Later that evening, he took her to a quiet place — colorful lights, nice and calm music, a cosy corner.
She didn't attend to her food at first; she just kept on glancing at him. All the while she kept on pretending to be upset even though she was grateful to the heavens that he was sitting right next to her.
He reached across the table and took hold of her hand gently.
“Tell me,” he said in a gentle voice, “what really made you upset that you decided on going on a break?”
He asked her in a way that didn't sound accusing. There was no anger in his voice. It was genuinely seeking for answers.
She took a deep breath in and breathed out...then she began to respond. She narrated everything to him — all her fears, her frustrations, how she had been feeling overwhelmed, how she sought for comfort but got silence in return.
He listened attentively and didn't interrupt.
When she was done, her held her hand a little bit tight and gave her a faint smile.
“I’ll be honest with you. The reason why I agreed with the break was because I felt within me that you needed some time out from the relationship drama. I didn't agree on it because I felt we were actually on a break. It never felt like a break up to me the whole time we were apart.”
Her eyes widened.
He spoke on.
“I just let you take a little bit of some rest. That's all.”
Something in her chest departed — fear, guilt, tension — they all vanished.
Then a little bit of playful seriousness appeared in his tone:
“As a matter of fact, I planned on sending you our court certificate as a little reminder that we are legally married already, just in case you've forgotten. So, there's no turning back, baby. Even though we are still looking forward to the church wedding.”
She was in half shock, half laughter, and half teary.
For the first time in three days, she felt complete once again.
She looked at him with glistening eyes.
“You didn't give up on me...”
He shook his head.
“Nope.”
She said in a low tone, “I missed you.”
“I know, love,” he said smiling. ”I missed you too, everyday.”
He held both of her hands gently but firmly in his hands as they smiled at each other.
In that very moment, the world felt right once again.
They stepped out of the restaurant holding each other hands,
—
softer, wiser, closer and more in love with each other than they had ever been.
