His Belated Love

At our engagement party, my fiancé Ethan, a doctor, was called away by a phone call.

I assumed it was an emergency surgery at the hospital, so I didn’t complain. I stayed behind alone to apologize to all the guests.

But when I finally dragged myself home, exhausted—

I saw a photo posted by his first love on social media.

Under the fireworks by the beach, Ethan’s profile was unmistakable.

It was a smile I had never seen before.

…

I never knew Ethan could smile so tenderly.

Five years ago, when I first met him, he was my father’s attending physician.

He told me my father’s heart condition was critical—he might not last a month.

I cried so hard I could barely stand, but Ethan didn’t even hand me a tissue.

Back then, I thought he was just a cold, unfeeling doctor.

But later, I realized that wasn’t true.

Ethan would peel fruit and pour water for my father while I was out getting food.

He would check on my father’s condition every twenty minutes late at night, standing outside the door.

He noticed my carpal tunnel syndrome and quietly left ointment for me.

Even after we got together, Ethan remained the same.

He never said much, but his care was everywhere.

He remembered my food allergies, tracked my cycle, and surprised me with tickets to my favorite musicals.

So when my best friend doubted Ethan’s love for me, I defended him without hesitation.

"Ethan is reserved, but he’s warm inside. He may not smile much, but he loves me."

My friend disagreed, shaking her head.

"But Ava, love shows in the eyes. When Ethan looks at you, his gaze is… lifeless."

I brushed off her words.

Until today, when I saw that photo.

Only then did I understand what it meant for love to spill from someone’s eyes.

Turns out, love really does have its depths.

In the photo, Ethan was still wearing the coat I had draped over him before he rushed off—worried he’d catch a chill.

I turned off my phone, taking deep breaths to ease the suffocating ache in my chest.

Ethan didn’t return until dawn.

Seeing me slumped on the couch, he froze.

"You’ve been sitting here all night? Why didn’t you change or sleep?"

I lifted my tired eyes. "You left suddenly without a single call. How could I sleep?"

Six months ago, a landslide hit a village in the neighboring city.