That day, Indri arrived with happy news.
"Rudi and I are getting married."
Andi smiled.
"Congratulations."
Indri hugged him.
"Thank you for always being there for me."
Andi returned her hug.
For the last time, he let himself savor the warmth he had longed for all this time.
Then he whispered softly:
"I hope you're happy."
Indri smiled.
"You have to be happy too."
Andi nodded.
"Yeah."
But after Indri left...
Andi sat alone.
For several minutes, he did nothing.
Then his tears fell.
Not heavily.
Not dramatically.
Just one after another.
Like rain the sky had held back for far too long.
He realized something:
Sometimes a goodbye doesn't happen when someone leaves.
It happens when we finally stop hoping they'll come back.