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Nora and I have been dating for over half a year, meeting at least once a week. We go out to eat, have fun at amusement parks, and when the weather is nice, we picnic in the park. On rainy days, we stay home and play video games. However, there are times when I invite her for dinner or just text her to chat, and she replies, "I have my period and don’t feel well," then disappears for several nights. By morning, she acts as if nothing happened, texting me again. Although we’ve visited each other's homes, we’ve never spent the night together. Every evening, we go our separate ways, leaving me with an indescribable sense of distance.
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One day, my sister told me she would be bringing her kids to my parents’ house for a two-week stay. This meant I’d have to help take care of my noisy nieces and nephews. Not a fan of children, I was quite upset and complained to Nora about it. She listened and asked when it would start. I told her it was the following week. Nora narrowed her eyes and looked at me, a familiar expression from when we first met—curious, yet with a trace of hesitation. After some thought, she invited me to stay at her house for two weeks. I was initially just excited to have an excuse to escape the noisy kids and agreed without hesitation.
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The day before I was supposed to stay over, I packed my clothes and essentials. Nora said she would provide anything else I needed. So, with a simple bag in hand, I headed to her house.
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Her grandma greeted me at the door. Nora informed her that I’d be staying for two weeks, and her grandma was both surprised and delighted. She even jokingly asked, "Are you going to share the same bed? It’s a double-size one!" Luckily, Nora quickly defused the situation by pulling me toward the guest room with a laugh. "We don’t get many visitors, so grandma is really excited," she explained softly. Though I felt a bit uneasy, the guest room was clean and well-prepared, and Nora seemed genuinely happy to have me there. I decided to let go of my worries and be grateful for the warm welcome.
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Because of work, we didn’t spend all day together. We’d leave together in the morning, and in the evening, Nora would always be home early, waiting to have dinner with me. Her grandma cooked hearty meals, giving me a comforting sense of belonging that I hadn’t felt in a while. Five days passed like this, until one evening, I came home from work and found Nora missing.
To be continued…
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