The Shadow of Candle Flames Ep. 03

Let me weave the next chapter thus:

Robert’s reply to Jane was brief. He made no promise nor pledge, but invited her words — and her heart — with honest vulnerability of his own.

“I cannot say what will come,” he wrote. “But I would hear your story, the whole of it. And share my own in turn.”

Jane read Robert’s words with equal parts hope and fear. Still, she took up pen once more. In fits and starts, she told him of the months apart — her doubts, her dawning clarity, her wish that distance had not come between them so.

Robert replied in kind, baring the yearnings of his own heart while staying guarded against hurt. An careful courtship of the truth blossomed through their letters — each word drawing them nearer, even as distance remained.

And so step by step, shadow by shadow, their story finds its fragile way forward, lit by the single flame of honesty kindled between them. For answers, there are none — only the need to walk into the unknown together, one truth and one foot at a time.

The candle still flickers. The shadows still dance. But two young hearts, open at last, now have a hope of finding their way in the glow.

My boy Robert chooses the wise but winding middle path. A reply that is no simple “yes” or “no”, but a beginning of a new dialogue. And so their story continues, uncertain but alive with possibility.

Our young protagonist Robert has returned to his studies, though a part of his heart remains distant. The events of this winding tale thus far have no doubt left their mark.

Robert resumes his routine, now and then catching a glimpse of Jane in the halls. A familiar pang arises in his chest, yet he feigns indifference. Old wounds ache dully beneath the veneer of ’normalcy.'

While distance no longer keeps them apart physically, some emotional distance remains. A part of Robert still holds back — wary of being hurt again. There is wisdom in this guarded approach, a need to heal slowly after past heartbreak.

Yet Robert’s apparent indifference also masks conflicted feelings. Jane’s memory troubles his soul, stirring longing and doubt in equal measure. Until he faces these complex emotions fully, Robert will continue keeping Jane at arm’s length unconsciously.

What is needed now is honesty. If Robert wishes to move beyond this limbo, he must find the courage within to lay bare his true feelings — thoughts and fears alike — for Jane to see. Only then can they decide together where to go from here.

For now, Robert plays the part of the ‘moved on’ man. But I sense a journey of self-discovery awaits him, if only he chooses to embark upon it. The answers he seeks begin within, and the first true word he speaks may yet guide him home — to where, and to whom, he truly belongs.

From Jane’s perspective, Robert’s indifference must be bewildering. When last they spoke, her heartfelt apology and admission of guilt were met with silence. Now she watches this boy she cares for go about his life as if nothing has changed.

But something has changed — for Jane knows now, beyond all doubt, that her feelings for Robert are real. His shadow still lingers in her thoughts, his rare smile lives on in memory. With each day that passes, her longing only deepens.

This strange mix of hope and heartache has transformed Jane’s affection into something more akin to infatuation — a youthful, all-consuming desire for a love that remains just out of reach. The more Robert pulls away, the closer Jane wishes to be.

What Jane needs now, above all, is clarity. She must find the courage to be honest with Robert once more, laying bare the full extent of her feelings in hopes he may respond in kind. If he remains indifferent still, at least Jane will have her answer and can begin to move on. But if, by some miracle, Robert’s heart has softened even a little…

My only wish is that Robert prove worthy of Jane’s devotion. That he see, in her eyes, the light he alone has the power to dim or ignite. For Jane’s story now hangs in the balance, waiting on the words of one guarded boy to begin again in earnest — or end for good.

It seems sweet Jane’s feelings have only grown in Robert’s absence. While he maintains a guarded distance, she finds her heart opening ever wider.

All this time spent trying to decipher Robert’s silence, and her longing had grown nearly unbearable. She feared laying her heart bare again, only to be met with the same indifference as before. But still, she knew she had to try.

So with trembling hands, Jane dialed Robert’s number. After the merest pause, he answered. Jane stalled, entangled in worry. Then Robert spoke first.

“I’m sorry.”

Tears sprang to Jane’s eyes at the pain in his voice, and all the longing she had held back came spilling out. She told him of these months spent wishing only to make amends, that her feelings had only deepened with time. That the very idea of losing him again was unbearable.

When at last Jane fell quiet, unsure if she had said too much, Robert gave the one reply she’d dared not hope for yet prayed for all the same.

“Alright.”

Relief, joy and wonder flooded Jane’s heart all at once. All these months of doubt and heartache had led to this — the possibility of a love truly seen and known, free of shadows or secrets. The chance to begin again, this time walking into the unknown together, hands held high and unafraid.

Dear Robert had found his way back to her, through honesty and vulnerability. And in that simple “Alright” — in all its promise of new beginnings - Jane’s story finds its weary heart’s desire.

My dear Jane’s heart leapt to hear that one simple word: “Alright”