Hidden Love

Two women. Twenty years of silence.

At 2:30 a.m., Sherry appears at Rita’s door, heartbroken after a sudden breakup.

In a night filled with tears, vodka, and long-buried memories, the truth finally rises—

a truth neither of them dared to speak for two decades.

Hidden Love

Faramarz Parsa

The doorbell woke me from sleep. When I saw the time, I nearly lost my mind. I rushed downstairs and opened the door.

Sherry was standing there.

“It’s two-thirty in the morning!”

She burst into tears and threw her arms around me.

“Come in… what happened at this hour?”

I took the tissue from her hand. She wiped her tears and nose, then sat on the chair by the door.

“It’s over… everything between me and Nathalie is over.”

“I don’t understand… what do you mean it’s over?”

She sobbed again, barely speaking through her crying:

“She left… for good. She went back to France. Rita… I’m going to die without her!”

I held her close. Inside, I thought: Is it possible? After twenty years? I couldn’t believe it.

I tried to calm her.

“Should I make coffee? Oh right, you never liked coffee.”

Then I joked:

“Or wine… yeah, wine fits better at this hour.”

She lifted her head, forcing a smile:

“Wine is good… but vodka is better if you have some.”

I brought her favorite vodka. I felt I needed it myself.

I lit a cigarette and filled both glasses.

She suddenly laughed:

“Seems like you are more heartbroken than I am, Rita!”

“Why do you say that?”

“A full glass of vodka… that says everything.”

We both laughed. The first light of dawn was spreading across the window. We were lost in old memories and excitement.

Sherry kept talking, and I just watched her.

My mind drifted back twenty years… two months before Nathalie entered her life.

I was in love with Sherry — ten years older than her.

But Nathalie… she was three years older than Sherry, beautiful, blonde, graceful — the kind of woman whose presence captures every gaze.

One day, I looked into Sherry’s eyes and knew: I’d lost her.

I had finally decided to confess my feelings, but Nathalie arrived… and everything ended.

My words died in my chest.

Her voice snapped me back:

“Where were you just now? You drifted away.”

I couldn’t hold myself anymore. I lost control.

I pulled her into my arms and kissed her.

We stayed like that for a few minutes.

When we finally separated, Sherry stared straight into my eyes:

“That wasn’t… no… I don’t think that was the vodka, right Rita?”

My eyes filled with tears that rolled down my cheeks.

“No… you’re right. It wasn’t the vodka. It was the love I’ve hidden for twenty years… waking up. I loved you, Sherry. But you never saw it.”

She looked stunned. Her lips trembled. She took my hand and pressed her forehead to mine.

“Rita… I always thought of you as my best friend… but here’s the truth: I loved you too. But I didn’t dare say it. You were older… and I was scared. I wanted you… but fear kept my mouth shut. Then Nathalie came.”

She hugged me — tight, and tighter.

“Don’t ever leave me. Ever.”