My name is Rose. I am 27 years old. I work  in an office every day. Six months ago, I broke up with my boyfriend, Chris.  Chris was a wonderful person. He made me feel happy. But Chris had no plans for  his future. He liked to live in the moment.

Chris did not think about tomorrow or saving  money. I needed a stable life. I was very sad when I left Chris. I cried many nights. Now I am dating  a new man. His name is Miller. Miller is a good man. He has a stable job. He is nice and safe. But  when I am with him, my heart does not beat fast.

I do not feel strong love for Miller today.  Chris is coming to my apartment. He needs to take his last box of things. We agreed this  visit would be quick. 5 minutes only. We would not talk about the past. It was 6:00 in the  evening. The doorbell rang. I opened the door.

It was Chris. He stood there with a serious  face. We both tried to look normal, but it was difficult. Chris walked to the living room.  He picked up his box. Chris turned and walked toward the door. Suddenly, heavy rain began  to fall. Chris looked out of the window. The streets were filled with water. He put the box  on the table. Chris turned toward me. I looked at him. We realized the truth at the same time.  Chris could not leave my apartment tonight. He was stuck here with me. We stood there for a  long time without moving or speaking. I looked at the floor thinking about what I should say.  Suddenly, the power went out. Everything became dark. I could not see Chris. I could not see my  hands. I knew where the supplies were. I walked carefully to the kitchen cabinet. I took out the  emergency box. I turned the flashlight on. Then I lit candles on the shelves. Chris did not look  worried about the situation. He looked calm. Chris moved the pillows from the sofa. He took blankets  from the closet. He put them in the living room.

Chris said it was for warmth during the cold  storm. We sat far away from each other. We did not want to talk about old memories. I looked at  Chris. 6 months had passed since I saw him the last time. He looked older. I wanted the night  to end quickly. Hours passed. Chris and I were tired of sitting in silence. We were also hungry.  I thought about the kitchen. The electricity was out for a long time. This meant the fridge was  getting warm. We needed to cook the food before it spoiled. I told Chris this. He agreed. We went  into the kitchen. We made dinner together. Chris found a bottle of wine. We poured the wine into  two glasses. We sat at the kitchen table. We began to talk about small things. I looked at Chris.  He was smiling. For a moment, it felt like we were still together. I forgot why I had broken up  with him. I forgot about wanting a stable life.

I only saw Chris. Then my phone buzzed. It was a  message. It was from Miller. Miller was my current boyfriend. Chris saw the name on the screen.  His face changed. He looked hurt and angry.

Chris put his wine glass on the table. He said,  "You moved on fast, Rose." My heart began to beat fast. I said, "That is not fair, Chris. You do not  know anything about my life now." I told him that Miller was nice, but I was lonely. He was safe,  but he was boring. I told Chris that breaking up with him had destroyed me, too. I did not stop  loving him just because I walked away. I told him I was scared because he had no future. Chris  listened to every word I said. He looked into my eyes. He said, "I understand, Rose. I got a new  job last month. It is a stable job with a good salary. I took it because I wanted to show you.  I wanted to prove that I could be responsible.

I did it for us, Rose. I froze. I could not  believe what I just heard. I looked at Chris and my heart felt so happy. We moved closer.  We did not kiss. We only held each other. We stayed like that for a long time. Then we moved  to the living room. We sat together on the sofa.

We shared one blanket. Slowly we fell asleep. The  next morning I woke up in Chris arms. I felt safe.

Then I remembered Miller, the man I was dating. I  went into the kitchen. Chris followed me. We did not speak many words. Chris looked happy. I felt  tired and confused. Chris looked at me. He said, "Rose, are we back together? Are we a couple  again?" I froze. I knew the answer. I loved Chris. I had always loved him. But love was not  always enough. I needed more time to think about everything that had happened. I touched his  hand. I said, "Chris, I love you. I truly do, but I cannot say yes right now. I need more  time to be ready." Chris pulled his hand back.

He understood my words. I saw a lot of pain in his  eyes. He accepted my decision. The storm was gone.

Chris looked at the box on the floor. He picked  it up. He walked to the main door. I followed him.

We stood in the doorway. Chris looked at me with  sad eyes. He said, "Goodbye, Rose." I wanted to tell him to stay here. I wanted to say, "Wait for  me." But I said nothing. Chris opened the door and stepped outside. I watched him leave the building.  He did not look back at my apartment. I closed the door. Chris was gone now. We did not get back  together this time, but something important happened between us. I knew that love changes  things. Love does not stay with you forever, but love changes who you are inside. I am  stronger and ready for the next part of my life.

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