The days after their meeting felt like a dream. Mira couldn't help but replay every moment in her mind — the way Jace's eyes lit up when they first saw each other, the gentle way he called her "my love," the comfort in his touch. It was the kind of perfect day that made everything else seem like background noise.
But life, as it always does, had other plans. Reality began to creep in. As much as she wanted to hold on to that bubble of happiness they'd shared, things outside of their little world demanded her attention.
School assignments piled up. Mira's teachers were all eager to squeeze in extra lessons before midterms, and the pressure was building. She found herself spending more and more time in the library, her texts to Jace becoming fewer and fewer.
"I have so much to do, my love," Mira typed one night, sitting at her desk surrounded by open textbooks and half-empty coffee mugs. "I don't think I'll be able to talk much tonight."
Her phone buzzed almost immediately with his reply.
"I get it, my love. I'll be here when you're ready. I just want you to focus and do your best."
Mira smiled at his words. He always knew what to say, even when she didn't have the energy to say anything back. She quickly replied:
"Thanks, Jace. I'll miss you, though."
The truth was, she would. She hadn't realized how much she relied on their late-night texts, how much those small, daily interactions kept her grounded. But now, between school, family obligations, and her growing responsibilities, the space between them was starting to widen, slowly but surely.
The same thing was happening to Jace. He was getting busier with his own life, his extracurriculars, and the pressure from his parents to focus on his studies. His messages became fewer as well, but neither of them said anything about it. They both understood — the weight of school and life had to be dealt with.
One day, about a week after their last text, Mira received a call from her mom.
"Hey, sweetie. I know you're busy, but I need you to help me with something today. The house is a mess, and we could use an extra hand before your dad's big meeting tonight."
Mira sighed. She really didn't want to take a break from her studies, but her mom's voice was enough to pull her out of her thoughts. "Okay, I'll be there in a bit."
Before she set her phone down, she shot Jace a quick message.
"Sorry, my love. I'll talk to you later, okay? I have to help my mom with something."
Her phone buzzed almost instantly.
"It's okay, my love. You do what you need to do. I'm here when you're ready."
She smiled, putting her phone down.
The rest of the day was a blur of cleaning, organizing, and prepping for the dinner. Mira's thoughts kept drifting back to Jace, but she kept pushing them aside. The responsibilities she had were real, and they needed to be handled.
When the evening finally came, she was exhausted. The last thing she wanted to do was study, but she had no choice. Midterms were coming up, and she couldn't afford to fall behind. She sat at her desk, trying to focus on her notes, but her mind kept wandering. She reached for her phone, hoping for a distraction, and saw that Jace had texted her.
"How's the cleaning going, my love?"
Mira smiled, even as she felt the weight of exhaustion settle deeper into her bones. She typed back quickly.
"I'm almost done, but I'm so tired. I just want to be done with everything."
His reply came almost immediately.
"I understand. I miss you. But don't worry, my love, you're almost there. I'm proud of you."
That last sentence made her heart flutter. She hadn't realized how much she needed to hear that, but she did. She took a deep breath, feeling a little lighter.
"Thanks, Jace. I'll text you later. I promise."
"Take your time, my love. I'll be waiting."
As Mira finally settled into bed, her phone beside her, she couldn't help but feel the distance between her and Jace growing. It wasn't that they were fighting or drifting apart. It was just that life was becoming more demanding, and their time together was slipping through their fingers like sand. She knew they'd both try to make it work, but it was hard to ignore the reality of everything that was pulling them in different directions.
But in the quiet of the night, Mira knew that even though things were getting busy, this wasn't the end. They would find their way back to each other, just like they always had. Because no matter how many things got in the way, they were still each other's safe place.
"I'll see you soon, my love," she whispered to herself before drifting off to sleep.