Love Beyond Reach

Upon hearing her parents' question, Saoirse was stunned for at least ten seconds. Struggling to find the right words, she awkwardly raked her fingers
through her hair.
When she was a freshman, Bjoern and Madeline had moved abroad and had intended to take her with them. However, Saoirse refused to leave
because she had fallen in love with Julian and was determined to stay in Hufter to finish her studies.
Although Bjoern and Madeline were not opposed to Saoirse dating at her age, she didn't dare tell them about Julian as she was the one who pursued
Julian instead of it being the other way around.
Even after Saoirse and Julian started dating, she didn't tell her parents as she knew they were a gossipy duo and would keep asking her about her

relationship.
Saoirse had kept her relationship with Julian a secret for three years. Her parents had been persistently urging her to move abroad, and she had
been making excuses to avoid telling them the truth. As graduation approached, the pressure increased, and her parents started to suspect she might
be in a relationship.
Just when she was debating whether to tell them the truth, she found the photos of Georgina on Julian's computer.
The following months turned out to be the hardest of her otherwise smooth-sailing 21 years. Seeing her parents, who had been high school
sweethearts and had been happily married for 27 years, made her feel that her three-year relationship had been a tragic misjudgment.
Thus, she decided to keep her relationship a secret.
She didn't think the truth would be revealed on her very first day in Poralis.
Seeing how quiet her daughter grew, Madeline nudged Bjoern with her elbow and affectionately patted Saoirse's head. "Don't mind your dad. Let's
eat."
At the dinner table, the family of three ate in silence, each focused on their meal.
As Saoirse observed her parents' efforts to mask their discomfort, her mind raced with thoughts before she finally spoke up.
"Mom, Dad, Julian was my ex-boyfriend. We were together for two years, but we broke up recently." Saoirse gave a partially truthful confession.

Madeline, proud of her daughter's resolve, patted her shoulder and gave her a thumbs up. "That's my girl! Determined and strong-willed!"
The atmosphere at the dining table was cheerful once again.
When Saoirse returned to her bedroom, she noticed a missed call from Julian on her phone. No wonder her parents had known about him.

Saoirse imagined Julian would stay mad for two days at most. After all, he didn't care about her.
Once he calmed down and accepted that the breakup was beneficial, he could properly pursue Georgina. It would be a romantic ending for them.
Saoirse and Julian probably would never see each other again.
With that thought, Saoirse sighed softly. She looked at Julian's number one last time, hesitated for a moment, and then decisively pressed the delete
button.