Chapter 36
Hope
In the days that follow, more and more plants appear at my front door, each one different from the last, and each comes with a new, heartfelt note tucked inside. A total of six plants have now earned a place in my home, all which represent a different meaning:
This bamboo tree symbolises resilience. It bends in the fiercest winds but never breaks. It somehow made me think of you. You bend, but you never break. I’ve seen you stand strong, and resilient, despite everything you’re going through. I just hope I haven’t taken that light from you.
With patience and care, aloe vera can heal even the deepest wounds. When I saw this plant, I knew I had to get it for you. It’s my hope that one day, I can be part of your healing, not the reason you need it.
Succulents can survive almost anything. They endure, refusing to give up. You’re just like that—stubborn in the best way. Determined. Unyielding. No matter how hard life tries to knock you down, you stand your ground. And that’s what I admire most about you.
I got you this fern because there’s something about it that feels hopeful to me.
It represents sincerity, resilience, and growth, all the things I see in you.
I wanted you to know that you have become my biggest inspiration.
Whatever you choose going forward, I hope you continue growing exactly as you always have.
That one almost did it. I was nearly ready to pick up the phone and call him, to have him meet me somewhere we could talk. But something still held me back. Fear and doubt lingered. No longer as strong as before, but still there, quietly clinging.
That all changed by Friday. It was late in the afternoon when I was picking Zac up from my parents’ place after work.
I hadn’t even crossed the threshold when he came running towards me, brimming with a kind of excitement I’d never seen before.
My parents followed close behind, their smiles impossibly wide.
When I asked what was happening, Zac practically squealed that he had won the competition—that his model house, the very one he had built with Kaden, had taken first place and was now proudly displayed at the school.
Nothing could have prepared me for the wave of emotions that crashed over me all at once. The excitement, pride, joy… and a deep, aching longing. I wanted nothing more than to share the good news with Kaden, to celebrate the moment with him, and one glance at Zac made it clear he felt the same.
I missed him terribly, and it was becoming harder and harder to ignore. He was in every corner of my life, woven through every daily reminder. No matter how hard I tried to push him away, he was everywhere.
It wasn’t until we got home that the decision truly cemented itself.
Another box waited on the porch. Inside sat a beautiful, healthy daffodil plant, a small white envelope tied to one of its elegant flowers. The moment I finished reading the final sentence, I knew it would be the last time he had to go to such lengths.
Hope,
I wanted to find a plant that represented new beginnings.
There were so many to choose from, but the daffodil felt right—not just because it’s perfectly in season, or that yellow is your favourite colour, but because it represents a fresh start.
Something I hope we can one day have… without any more secrets between us.
—Kaden.
P.S. There’s not a day that goes by that you’re not on my mind. I miss you, my friend.
It’s now one in the afternoon on a Saturday, almost two weeks since I last saw him.
I’m sitting on my favourite bench outside—Kaden’s bench, all the plants he gifted me gathered around like a quiet little army, standing guard, offering comfort and a gentle kind of protection.
The notes are set in a neat pile on my lap, my finger tracing the curves of his handwritten words.
My phone lies beside me, screen dark and quiet. In just a few minutes, I’ll hear his voice for the first time in days—weeks, and the anticipation coils tight in my chest.
Adrian had called midweek to tell me he couldn’t make it down to Sydney to see Zac. He had to help a friend with something ‘important.’
I didn’t ask what that something was. I’d stopped asking questions, stopped inviting answers that only ever dissolved into more lies. And I was done being lied to. Done caring enough to press for the truth.
Whether he showed up for Zac or not no longer felt like my burden to carry.
Zac, on the other hand, was absolutely thrilled, just as I knew he would be. He much preferred to join his uncle, aunt, cousins, and grandparents on a camping trip down the South Coast this weekend, so it worked out in the end.
I’d been invited to go along too, of course, but I knew this was the one opportunity I’d been waiting for—the uninterrupted window I needed to meet Kaden and finally have the conversation I’d been putting off for too long.
I told my parents I needed to focus on the renovations and left it at that.
They didn’t press me to come. I had a feeling they understood, that what I really needed was a little time to myself.
So here I am, alone in my backyard, phone in hand, ready to make the call that might possibly change everything from this moment on.
I pull up his number and press call before my nerves can overtake me. It rings a few times, each one stretching thin, until the line connects and his deep, raspy voice hums through the speaker.
“Hope?”
For a brief minute, my eyes close, the sound of his voice both soothing my frayed nerves and setting them alight all at once.
“Hope,” he repeats. “Are you there?”
“I’m here.” My voice comes out small and hushed, as though the words themselves have to fight their way free.
“Oh, thank God. It’s so good to hear your voice again.”
A sharp sigh escapes my mouth. “I’m sorry I haven’t called or replied to any of your texts. I just needed some time to think.”
“You don’t ever have to apologise. I completely understand. I’m just glad you called.”
“I...um...I got your gifts. They’re beautiful, Kaden, and not just the plants, but the little notes you wrote too.”
“I didn’t know how else to reach you. I thought I’d try my luck with the plants, and if that failed, I would’ve found another way. I just needed you to know I was thinking of you… and that I wasn’t going to give up.”
“Well, fortunately for you, it worked. I’ve never had anyone do something like that for me. I appreciate the effort.”
“I considered delivering them myself, showing up to your doorstep on my hands and knees, but I was afraid you’d call the cops on me.”
I surprise myself with the laughter that slips from my lips. I hear his low chuckle on the other end, and for a brief pause, it feels as if no time has passed at all.
“I’m calling because I think it’s time we have a proper conversation. Not over the phone, but in person. I’ve had time to think things over, and while I’m still very hurt, Kaden, I’m ready to hear what you have to say.”
“I very much appreciate that. Thank you, Hope.” He exhales heavily, and I can hear the instant relief in his voice. Even after ignoring him for two weeks, he’s thankful that I’m still willing to hear him out.
“Okay… you can come over tonight, if that works. Zac’s away for the weekend with my family, so we can talk privately.”
“I can be there at six?”
“Six is perfect.”
“Okay, great. Do you want me to order something for us?”
“This isn’t a date, Kaden,” I say, the edge in my voice sharper than I intended.
“No, I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry. I just thought… if you haven’t eaten by then, I could bring something and save you the trouble.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be fine. You’re just here to talk. Remember that.”
“Of course. I’m sorry. I’ll be there.”
“Okay, good. Well, I’ll see you tonight at six.”
“See you then, Hope.”
I end the call quickly, letting the phone fall beside me.
I can sense he wanted to say more, but whatever it is, he can say it all to my face. If we’re going to have this conversation, he has to look me in the eye and speak honestly.
Because no matter how tonight unfolds, he’ll understand that if he wants another chance with me, there can be no more lying and secrets between us, ever again.