I never thought I could fall in love again as deeply as I did when I was young.
My friends laughed, but I was glowing with happiness.
His name was Alexandru, and he was a little older than me.
We met at a classical concert – during the intermission we casually talked and discovered common interests.
That evening it was drizzling light rain, the air smelled of freshness and sun-heated asphalt, and suddenly I felt young again and open to the world.
Alexandru was polite, attentive and had a wonderful sense of humour – we laughed at the same old stories.
Next to him I rediscovered the joy of life.
But this June, which had brought me so much happiness, was soon overshadowed by a disturbing reality that I didn’t yet know.
We began to see each other more often – going to the cinema together, talking about books and the years of loneliness to which I had grown accustomed.
One day he invited me to his lake house – a completely idyllic place.
The air was filled with the scent of pine trees and the setting sun was golden on the surface of the water.
One evening, when I stayed overnight at his place, Alexandru went into town to ‘settle some business’.
While he was away, his phone rang.
The name Maria appeared on the screen.
I didn’t want to be impolite and didn’t answer, but inside I had a nagging worry – who was this woman?
When he returned, he said Maria was his sister and she was having health problems.
His tone was sincere, and I calmed down.
But in the days that followed, he disappeared more and more often, and Maria called him regularly.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something from me.
We were so close, but there seemed to be some secret tension between us.
One night I woke up and realised he wasn’t there.
Through the thin walls of the house, I heard his muffled voice on the phone:
Maria, wait some more… No, she doesn’t know yet… Yes, I understand… But I need a little more time….
My hands trembled: ‘She doesn’t know yet’ – it was clear that it was about me.
I lay down again and pretended to be asleep when he came back into the room.
But there were hundreds of questions swirling around in my head.
What secret is he hiding?
Why does he need more time?
In the morning, I told him I wanted to go for a walk, on the pretext of buying fresh fruit at the market.
I actually found a quiet spot in the garden and called a friend:
Elena, I don’t know what to do. I think something serious is going on between Alexandru and his sister.
Maybe they have debts or… I don’t even want to think the worst.
I’ve only just started to trust him.
Elena sighed heavily on the other end of the line:
You need to talk to him or you’ll wear yourself out with suspicion.
That night I couldn’t hold back any longer.
When Alexandru returned from another trip, I asked him in a trembling voice:
Alexandru, I overheard you talking to Maria. You said I don’t know anything yet. Please explain what this is all about.
His face turned pale and he lowered his gaze:
I’m sorry… I was going to tell you. Yes, Maria is my sister, but she has serious financial problems – huge debts and she’s in danger of losing her house.
She asked me for help, and I… spent almost all my savings.
I was afraid that if you found out about my situation, you’d think I was financially unstable and not suitable for a serious relationship.
I just wanted to sort things out before I told you, to make arrangements with the bank….
But why did you say I didn’t know yet?
Because I was afraid you’d leave if you found out… We’d just started something wonderful. I didn’t want to burden you with my problems.
I felt pain in my heart, but also relief.
It wasn’t another woman, not a double life, not self-serving betrayal-just fear of losing me and a desire to help my sister.
Tears came to my eyes.
I took a deep breath, remembered all the years of loneliness that had been weighing on me, and suddenly realised – I didn’t want to lose a loved one again because of a misunderstanding.
I took Alexandra’s hand:
I am 62 years old, and I want to be happy. If we have problems, we will solve them together.
Alexandru sighed heavily and held me tightly against him.
In the moonlight I saw tears of relief in his eyes.
The crickets were still singing, and the warm night air brought the scent of pine resin, filling the silence with the soft whisper of nature.
The next morning I called Maria and offered to help negotiate with the bank myself – I had always loved organising and had useful contacts.
During our conversation, I felt that I had found the family I had long dreamed of – not only a man I loved, but also close relatives whom I was ready to support.
Looking back on all our doubts and fears, I realised how important it is not to run away from problems, but to face them together – hand in hand with the person you love.
Yes, 62 may not be the most romantic age for new love, but it seems that life can still offer a wonderful gift – if you accept it with an open heart.
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