Every evening, Lina walked to the old stone bridge overlooking the river. She had been waiting for Daniel for three years.
They had grown up in the same poor village, sharing everything they had. Daniel dreamed of becoming a doctor, while Lina dreamed of opening a small bakery. But Daniel’s family could not afford university, so he left for the capital to work.
Before leaving, he promised, “When I return, I will build a home beside this river.”
At first, they exchanged letters every week. Then the letters became less frequent. Months passed without news.
Lina’s parents urged her to marry another man from the village. He was wealthy and could give her a comfortable life.
But Lina refused.
One rainy evening, while she stood on the bridge, an old bus stopped nearby. A man stepped down carrying a worn suitcase.
It was Daniel.
He had failed his entrance exams twice, worked in restaurants, slept in tiny rooms, and studied late into the night. Finally, he had become a doctor.
He walked toward Lina with tears in his eyes.
“I told you I would come back.”
Lina smiled.
“You took three years.”
Daniel laughed softly.
“I know. But I never stopped coming back in my heart.”
Years later, the bakery they dreamed about stood beside the river.
And every evening, two people sat outside it, watching the sunset together.
