Adrian Moretti was fast asleep.
For the first time since moving into the new house, the seventeen-year-old had managed to sleep without waking every few hours. His curtains were partly drawn, allowing the faint morning light to slip into the room. His phone lay untouched on the bedside table, while the alarm that had been set for seven o'clock remained silent.
The room was peaceful, almost too peaceful.
The soft hum of the air conditioner filled the silence while the curtains moved gently with the breeze. On the desk, a few books were stacked neatly beside his school documents. His new school uniform had already been arranged for the following morning, a reminder that his new life was beginning whether he was ready for it or not.
Adrian shifted beneath the covers. His brows slowly furrowed. His breathing changed. At first, it was barely noticeable. Then his fingers tightened around the blanket.
"No..." His voice was low and strained.
He turned his head restlessly against the pillow.
"No, Mom..."
His expression tightened as though he were trapped inside a memory he couldn't escape.
"Mom, don't go..."
His voice cracked.
He swallowed hard, his head moving from side to side.
"Please..."
A tear escaped the corner of his eye.
"Don't leave me alone."
The words came out almost like a child's plea.
His face twisted with sadness as the nightmare pulled him deeper into memories he had buried for years. In his dream, everything felt real. He could hear his mother's voice. He could see her face. He could almost feel the warmth of her hand. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hold on to her.
"Mom..."
His voice trembled.
"Please don't leave me."
He reached out instinctively, his fingers grasping at empty air.
"Mom, wait..."
His breathing became uneven.
"Please..."
For a moment, Adrian looked younger than seventeen. He looked like the little boy who had once sat beside his mother's hospital bed, desperately holding her hand.
"Mom..."
His voice trembled.
"Please don't leave me."
He suddenly sat upright.
His eyes flew open. He breathed heavily, looking around the unfamiliar room. His hand instinctively went to his chest as he tried to calm himself. His hair was disheveled, and his face was slightly damp from the tears he hadn't realized had fallen. He stared at the walls. The wardrobe...The desk... The unfamiliar curtains... Slowly, reality returned... Silence... No hospital... No doctors... No machines... No dying mother... Just his bedroom. Adrian stared ahead for several seconds, trying to remind himself that it had been a dream. A nightmare. He dragged a hand across his face and exhaled slowly. He hated dreams like that. They made him remember things he spent years trying not to think about. He looked toward the window. Seven years.
Seven years, and somehow his mother still felt close enough to lose all over again. Adrian leaned back against the headboard and rubbed his eyes.
"I miss you," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
His eyes remained fixed on the window as the morning light slowly grew brighter. There were days when Adrian convinced himself that he had gotten over it. There were days when he could say his mother's name without feeling the ache in his chest. But then there were nights like this. Nights when he was reminded that grief didn't always disappear. Sometimes, it simply learned how to hide.
A soft knock came from the door.
Adrian quickly wiped his face.
"Adrian?"
Mrs. Hayes opened the door slightly and peeked inside.
"Are you awake?"
Adrian stared at the ceiling.
"No."
Eleanor stepped into the room, folding her arms.
"Interesting."
Adrian pulled the blanket over his head.
Eleanor sighed.
"Adrian."
No response.
She walked toward the bed.
"Time to wake up."
"I'm awake."
"Then get up."
"I don't want to."
Eleanor smiled.
"That wasn't an option."
Adrian groaned beneath the blanket.
"Mrs. Hayes, please."
She could hear the exhaustion in his voice, but she also recognized the familiar stubbornness that had followed him since childhood. She pulled the curtains open... Sunlight immediately flooded the room. Adrian groaned louder and covered his face with both hands.
"Why would you do that?"
"Because you're supposed to be awake."
"I'm awake now."
"Good. Then get out of bed."
Adrian dropped his hands and stared at her.
"Five more minutes."
"You said that five minutes ago."
"I didn't."
"You did."
"I don't remember."
Eleanor placed her hands on her hips.
"That's because you were half asleep."
Adrian closed his eyes again.
"Exactly. So I need another five minutes."
Eleanor shook her head, amused.
"Every morning, the same routine."
Adrian opened one eye.
"What routine?"
"First, I wake you up."
He remained silent.
"Then you complain."
Silence.
"Then you ask for five minutes."
Adrian pulled the blanket slightly higher.
"Then you pretend you're going back to sleep."
Eleanor continued, counting on her fingers.
"Then I threaten to open the curtains."
"You already opened them."
"And then you finally get up."
Adrian stared at her.
"You've memorized it."
"Of course I have."
She walked to his wardrobe and opened it.
"And after breakfast, you have to take your vitamins, shower, get dressed, and stop behaving like an old man who has already retired."
Adrian sat up slowly.
"I don't behave like an old man."
Eleanor glanced over her shoulder.
"You complain about waking up, complain about breakfast, complain about school, complain about moving, and complain whenever I ask you to clean your room."
Adrian frowned.
"That's not complaining."
"What is it?"
"Communication."
Eleanor laughed.
"Come downstairs."
Adrian finally threw the blanket aside.
"Fine."
"Thank you."
"But I'm not eating anything."
Eleanor looked at him.
"You're eating."
"I'm not hungry."
"You will be."
"I won't."
"You will."
Adrian stood and stretched.
Eleanor pointed toward the bathroom.
"Go."
He sighed dramatically.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Don't 'yes, ma'am' me."
Adrian gave her a faint smirk.
"Yes, ma'am."
Eleanor shook her head as she walked out.
"Stubborn boy."
Adrian watched her leave before shaking his head. Despite himself, a small smile appeared. Mrs. Hayes had been doing this for years. When he was younger, she would pull the blanket away from him and practically drag him out of bed. As he grew older, he became better at resisting her, but Eleanor never gave up. She had become one of the few constants in his life. His mother was gone... His father was constantly away... But Eleanor was always there. Even when Adrian didn't say it, he appreciated that.
A short while later, he came downstairs. Breakfast was waiting. Eleanor looked up from her seat.
"Sit."
Adrian pulled out a chair and sat down. He stared at the food. Eleanor watched him.
"Eat." She finally said
"I'm looking."
"Food isn't a museum exhibit."
Adrian sighed and picked up his fork.
"You're very demanding."
"And you're very difficult."
He took a bite.
Eleanor smiled in satisfaction.
"See? You're alive."
Adrian rolled his eyes.
"Unfortunately."
Eleanor's smile disappeared for a moment.
She knew that tone.
"Don't say things like that."
Adrian looked at her and immediately understood.
"I'm joking."
"I know," she said softly, studying him. "But still."
Adrian nodded.
"Okay."
The rest of breakfast passed quietly. A few hours later, Adrian was finally dressed. Instead of going straight to school—since classes didn't begin until the following day—he decided to spend the afternoon getting a few things from the mall. He grabbed his wallet and phone before heading downstairs.
Eleanor was sitting in the living room.
"Where are you going?"
"The mall."
She looked up.
"For what?"
"Some things."
"What things?"
Adrian shrugged.
"Things."
Eleanor narrowed her eyes.
"You're becoming very fond of that answer."
"Maybe because it works."
She smiled.
"Be back before evening."
"I will."
"And keep your phone on."
Adrian lifted his phone.
"It's right here."
"I know. I'm reminding you because yesterday you slept on a beach instead of answering it."
Adrian looked away.
"I said I was sorry."
Eleanor smiled.
"I know."
He headed for the door.
"Adrian?"
He turned.
"Yes?"
"Enjoy yourself."
He nodded.
"I will."
The mall was busier than Adrian expected.
People moved from store to store, carrying shopping bags and talking among themselves. Adrian walked through the entrance, hands in his pockets, barely paying attention to the crowd. He picked up a few things he needed..A couple of shirts.
Some stationery. A new pair of headphones.
Nothing particularly interesting. He was about to leave one of the stores when something caught his attention. Or rather...
Someone. Adrian stopped. His eyes moved across the crowd. There she was. The girl from the beach. The girl with the book.
She was walking several metres away, carrying a small bag while holding a book against her chest. Adrian stared. For several seconds, he simply watched. It couldn't be a coincidence. He recognized her. The same girl. The same quiet presence. Something about her seemed exactly as it had the previous day.
Calm.
Unbothered.
As though the noise surrounding her couldn't reach her. Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't understand why he had noticed her so quickly. There were dozens of people around them. Yet somehow, his attention had gone straight to her. He took a step forward. Then another. He wasn't sure why. Maybe he wanted to finally know her name. Maybe he simply wanted to confirm that she was actually the same person. He moved through the crowd. But just as he got closer, someone walked between them. Adrian shifted to the side. The girl disappeared behind another group of shoppers. He looked around.
Nothing.
He walked farther.
Still nothing.
His eyes searched the nearby stores.
Gone.
Adrian frowned.
"Where did she go?"
He glanced toward the escalator.
Nothing.
Then toward the entrance.
Nothing.
She had vanished.
He stood there for a moment, looking strangely confused. A small part of him wondered whether he had imagined the whole thing. But he hadn't. He knew what he had seen. Adrian sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Seriously?"
He looked around one more time.
Still nothing.
He shook his head. He didn't know why he was disappointed. It wasn't as though he knew her. He didn't even know her name. Yet somehow, the second time disappearing without a word made the encounter feel strangely unfinished. He turned around. There was no point searching anymore.
He finished what he had come to do and returned home later that afternoon. When he entered the house, Eleanor was already waiting in the living room. She looked up from the book in her hands.
"Welcome home."
Adrian dropped the shopping bags beside the sofa.
"Thanks."
Eleanor looked at the bags.
"Did you buy everything you needed?"
"Yes."
She nodded.
"Good."
Adrian started walking upstairs.
Then he stopped.
He turned around.
"Mrs. Hayes?"
"Hmm?"
"I saw her again."
Eleanor slowly lowered her book.
"The girl?"
Adrian nodded.
"The girl."
A smile immediately appeared on Eleanor's face.
"Again?"
Adrian frowned.
"Yes."
"Where?"
"The mall."
Eleanor leaned back against the sofa.
"And did you speak to her this time?"
Adrian's expression became blank.
"No."
Eleanor pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh.
"Why?"
"I saw her."
"And?"
"Then I lost her."
Eleanor stared at him.
"You lost her?"
Adrian nodded.
"She disappeared into the crowd."
Eleanor's smile grew wider.
"Adrian."
"What?"
"You don't even know her name."
"I know."
"You haven't spoken to her."
"I know."
"You don't know where she lives."
"I know."
"And yet you've now seen her twice."
Adrian folded his arms.
"Yes."
Eleanor nodded slowly.
"Very interesting."
"It's not interesting."
"Of course not."
"It isn't."
"Naturally."
Adrian rolled his eyes.
"You're teasing me."
"I would never."
"You are."
Eleanor laughed.
"Maybe a little."
Adrian shook his head.
"I'm going upstairs."
"All right."
He turned.
Then Eleanor called after him.
"Adrian?"
He looked back reluctantly.
"What?"
She smiled mischievously.
"Maybe tomorrow you'll finally learn her name."
Adrian stared at her.
Then he shook his head.
"I don't care about her name."
Eleanor's eyebrows lifted.
"Sure."
Adrian walked upstairs.
Behind him, Eleanor chuckled to herself.
"Definitely not interested," she murmured, shaking her head with an amused smile.
Adrian entered his room and closed the door.
He stood there quietly for a moment. Then his thoughts returned to the mall.
The girl.
The book.
The beach.
He frowned.
He still didn't understand why he kept noticing her. But somewhere deep inside, he had a feeling that this wasn't the last time their paths would cross. And this time...
He intended to find out what her name was.