A familiar voice rang out beside him, making Minh pause. "Mr. Minh?".

He turned around, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. It was Lan. They hadn't seen each other in ten years. She sat down on the chair opposite him, her eyes still as deep as ever, but there was a distant sadness in her gaze.

They had loved each other in their youth, when they both left their hometowns to start a career in the city. Their first love was pure but also full of ups and downs. They had dreamed of a future together, but in the end, they lost each other amid the pressures of making a living. One day, Minh received a message from Lan saying goodbye. No explanation. He was hurt, angry, and convinced himself that she had never loved him enough.

Now, she sat right in front of him, also returning to her hometown after all those years. "It's been a long time!" - Lan smiled lightly, her voice a bit hesitant.

"Yeah, it's been a long time," Minh replied, his hands unconsciously clasping together.

They started talking. About their hometown, about old friends, about work. But both of them avoided mentioning what had happened between them. Until Minh blurted out: "Back then... why did you break up with me so suddenly?".

Lan bowed her head, her fingers gently twisting the old silver ring on her hand. "Do you remember the last time we met? That night, I wrote you a letter. But you probably never received it."

Minh frowned. "What letter? I don't know."

"Your mother kept it. She came to see me and said that you needed a wife who could take care of you, not a girl who didn't know who her father was and was always struggling to make ends meet like me. I was going to ignore what she said, but then that day... I saw you with another girl. The two of you were laughing and joking happily. I thought... maybe she was right."

Minh was stunned, bewildered for a moment, then exclaimed: "You misunderstood. She is just my cousin."

Lan laughed, but her eyes were red. "But at that time, I didn't know. I was just a girl in her twenties... I chose to leave, because I thought it was the best thing for both of us."

Minh took a deep breath. He never expected that all these years, they had lost each other just because of a misunderstanding and a few careless words. If that day he had persisted in looking for her; if that day she had bravely asked him once... would they still be together now?

As they continued to talk, layers of old memories were brought up. Lan told of the days when she left the city and returned to her hometown with a broken heart. She tried to build a new life, but it was not easy. She got married, but it was not a happy marriage. Her husband was abusive and controlling. She finally divorced after three years of suffering.

Minh was speechless. He had no idea Lan had gone through all that. He blamed himself for not looking for her, for not understanding the truth.

Minh also has his own story. After losing Lan, he threw himself into work, becoming a successful but lonely man. He had loved a few people, but no one gave him the feeling that Lan had. And now, on this train, when looking into her eyes, he understood that his heart had not truly forgotten his first love.

Minh looked at Lan for a long time. The rain outside still beat steadily against the glass window, like the silent beats of memories. His heart suddenly felt heavy with the past and the things he had not had time to say.

"If I had received your letter that day, would we have been different?" Minh spoke hoarsely, his eyes boring into Lan.

Lan smiled sadly. "No one knows what will happen, right? Maybe we'll still be apart, maybe we won't. But maybe I wouldn't have had to go through those years alone."

Minh clenched his hands. A feeling of regret welled up in his chest. He had blamed himself and told himself to forget, but now that the truth had been revealed, he felt only regret. Regret for a love lost for many years because of misunderstandings and unnecessary pain.

The train continued to move forward, shaking slightly with each turn. The yellow lights reflected on Lan's face, making her look strangely fragile. Minh suddenly realized that, no matter how many years had passed, in his heart, she was still the girl from years ago, the one he had loved with all his heart.

"Lan... how are you now?" - Minh asked softly.

Lan tilted her head slightly, her eyes following the raindrops rolling down the window. "I'm fine. Divorce isn't the end, it's just a chance to start over. Now I have a stable job, a simple life, and... no one can hurt me anymore."

Minh listened and his heart tightened. He clearly heard the strength in her voice, but also the hidden loneliness.

"What about you?" Lan asked again and she searched his eyes for the answer.

Minh smiled softly. "I'm fine. But perhaps, there are things that no matter how successful you are, you can't fill."

Lan didn't ask any more questions, just nodded slightly. Between them, there was no need to say much, because the silence spoke for itself.

The train gradually slowed down, signaling that it was about to reach the station. Lan looked outside, then turned to Minh, her voice as light as a breeze: "There are things that cannot be returned, but there are also things that are not too late, brother!"

Minh was stunned. He looked deep into her eyes, as if searching for something. And then, in the yellow light of the night train, he saw a glimmer of hope.

"If there is another chance, would you like to try again with me?" Minh spoke slowly but firmly.

Lan looked at him for a long time, then smiled softly.

The train stopped. And they, for the first time in ten years, got off together, on a path they never thought they would ever walk together again.

Le Ngoc Son