# On the day

By [YOLO](https://paragraph.com/@yolo) · 2024-11-27

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On the day she received a scholarship abroad, I felt a bit disappointed. I messaged back:

"You don't even like France, do you?"

"Then I like it now!" she replied, adding a laughing emoji.

I didn't know what to say. Well, we had broken up, so what was the point of lingering?

On the day I saw her off at the airport, I went to her side. The apartment I had left a year before still felt strangely familiar. She took Lắc - our cat - to France. That was also what connected us.

"Two weeks, I'll pick up Lắc for the weekend!" That was our rule.

I reminded her of everything, from the trivial stuff to clothes. Looking at me, she said:

"I'm not like I used to be."

At that moment, I was reminded that we had broken up a long time ago.

We occasionally keep in touch via Facebook.

About two years after our official breakup, I met someone new. The New Love had some similarities with her. Quiet, interesting. However, the New Love was sharper and more practical. This made our relationship balanced.

"I want to go abroad." - One time, the New Love was acting coy - "I haven't left the city in years."

"So where do you want to go?"

"To France."

"Didn't you say France was dirty?"

"Did I say that?"

The New Love furrowed her brows. For a moment, I felt guilty. No, that was what the old one said.

"Haha, my mistake then." - I said to brush it off.

That night, I checked my ex's Facebook again. In France, she took many pictures. She looked quite refreshed. Maybe she was happy.

In the middle of the night, I got up to drink beer. Sitting blankly on the chair, the New Love stood beside me, clearing her throat. Startled, I whispered:

"Did I wake you?"

"Yeah. How could I sleep when your ex is calling you in the middle of the night?"

The New Love joked, then sat opposite me, took out a cigarette, and lit it. Her slender legs were casually propped up on the table. The New Love looked so different from the gentle old love of the past.

"You knew I would guess."

"Easy to guess. But I don't blame you. You two were together for six years."

"So, are you upset?"

The New Love laughed loudly:

"Of course. But I have my own exes. Sometimes, you remind me of them."

"Yeah. We always love similar types without realizing it."

We both laughed. The New Love flicked her cigarette into the ashtray and said:

"That's life. We must move on."

"But how can you move on if you're still in pain?"

The New Love didn't answer immediately. She stood up, kissed my cheek. Before entering the bedroom, the New Love said:

"How can one forget? It will stay with you for life. But over time, it gets lighter. You'll get used to it."

The New Love and I continued our relationship. Later, we left the city to start anew in Da Lat. Our love was like many others, full of joy and arguments.

Occasionally, I still texted my ex. She often shared stories about France. I asked if she had found someone new. She said not yet.

Then one day, the ex confessed:

"You know what I hate being asked? What am I doing in France? I can't say it's a way for us to move on. Nor can I say I'm betting my future on studying abroad without knowing what life will be like."

I heard her voice through the microphone. At that moment, her voice was calm. I understood, we were in the middle of that journey. Between forgetting and remembering. Between moving on and looking back.

"Yeah." - I replied - "I also want to say we'll remember each other forever. But eventually, everything lightens up. You'll love someone new."

On the other end, she gave a faint laugh.

We ended the conversation. Outside, I saw the New Love picking mushrooms. After the rain, the ground was damp. The mushrooms were fresh.

"Let me."

I said. The New Love smiled. And together, we created new memories.

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*Originally published on [YOLO](https://paragraph.com/@yolo/on-the-day)*