When Love Break Ties

Chapter 29: A Letter from Home

Nathan sat by the window, watching the gentle autumn rain as it tapped rhythmically against the glass. The soft pitter-patter usually calmed him, but today, his thoughts were elsewhere. He hadn't been able to shake off the weight of his last conversation with Abby. The question she had asked the night before echoed in his mind: Do you regret being with me?

It wasn't that simple. Nothing about their relationship was simple anymore. Every conversation seemed to carry a hidden undercurrent of tension, of expectations unmet. Nathan felt trapped between two worlds: one with Abby, where he was expected to embrace a new version of himself, and another where his family's expectations of him still lingered like an unfinished conversation.

As his thoughts swirled, Nathan's phone buzzed. He picked it up absentmindedly, assuming it was another email from his publisher or a message from Abby. But the name that flashed on the screen stopped him cold: Mom.

Attached was a photo of a thick envelope, stamped and worn from its journey across the miles from Manila to Tokyo. His heart quickened.

A letter.

He hadn't received an actual letter in years. In this digital age, where emails and texts were the norm, a handwritten letter seemed almost foreign. But seeing that envelope in the picture tugged at something deep inside him—something he had been trying to ignore for too long.

With shaking hands, Nathan opened the message from his mom. "We miss you. Your dad and I have been thinking about you a lot. We wrote you a letter. It's all in there. We hope you read it soon. Love, Mom."

His fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before typing out a response. "Thanks, Mom. I'll read it when I get home."

But even after sending the message, Nathan couldn't shake the growing unease in his chest. What was in that letter? Why now? He hadn't been close to his family in months, and after their last visit to Tokyo, the distance between them felt even more pronounced. His father's disapproving stares, his mother's worried glances—they had all left scars on his heart that hadn't yet healed.

He stood up from his seat by the window, pacing around the small apartment. He didn't know if he was ready for whatever words awaited him in that envelope, but something inside him longed to know. He felt torn, once again, between his love for Abby and his deep-rooted connection to his family.

As he wrestled with his thoughts, the front door creaked open. Abby walked in, her hair slightly damp from the rain, a tired expression on her face.

"Hey," she greeted softly, her eyes searching his. "What's on your mind?"

Nathan hesitated, unsure of whether to share the news of the letter with her. Their relationship had already been so rocky lately, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to dive into yet another conversation about his family.

But something in her gaze—something vulnerable—made him open up.

"I got a letter from home," he said quietly, watching her reaction carefully.

Abby's eyes flickered with something he couldn't quite place—surprise, maybe? Or was it something more?

"A letter?" she repeated, walking closer and sitting down beside him. "From your parents?"

Nathan nodded. "Yeah. My mom sent me a message. They wrote me something... I don't know what it says yet."

Abby leaned back against the couch, her face neutral, but Nathan could sense the tension rising between them. They had fought so many times about his family—about how they didn't understand him or his relationship with Abby. He could feel the unspoken words hanging in the air.