"The truth that has been hidden from you over the years is only trying to resurface in its real form, and trust me, there may be a lot of heartbreaking discoveries along the way, but then just be strong enough for every single one of them, as the next may always be more than the last."

She paused in her tears, as she was shocked.

She had made sure there was no one around her in the garden earlier, and she could not still remember having seen anyone come in after her.

She slowly turned back to the voice, and yeah, there it was, one of her childhood friends of poor background.

His name was Sam.

They had both grown up together, and they both knew a lot about each other, although for a while now, they had barely been able to come across each other.

It was really not fair; they were not really much fond of each other as they were earlier on in their lives, or maybe so it seemed for her only, as it seemed he still saw her as very much closer to her than she even thought.

He was almost there at every point in time when she ever felt down.

And yeah, he was here once more.

“Hey Sam! How are you?” She exclaimed, and he smiled.

She was shy to ask him for a hug, but he did not think that much of it, as he knew her reason.

She was probably shy of the fact that she had not been checking up on him for a while now, and even while he had tried to rekindle their friendship, she had always thought of a way to quench the flames.

Most probably given the reason that she was from the bright side of life and very much not like him; he was the son of a pauper mother with a lot more children than the average.

They had come to know each other when his mother was permitted to stay in the mansion as a worker, and she had some of her children come along, letting the others stay with relatives.

He happened to stay with her, and, yeah, he and Val had a genuine and mutual like for each other, and they bonded pretty well, and this gave him the opportunity to have meals with the rich, among other privileges.

“Uhm, well, it's all okay, I must say. You know I understand; you can come.” He spread his hand for a hug, and he cherished the warmth.

Same as Val, as even when he was satisfied and wanted to let go, she still held him to herself.

He nodded slowly, and as he held on to her, she suddenly began to sob on his shoulders.

“Hey, it's alright. If you don't mind, you could tell me a thing or two. You know I am always here for you, don't you remember?All of the promises still are in place. We still will stand by each other. I heard about the fallout with your boyfriend Zane, and I am sorry to say this, but I always knew he was an ass, and I even tried to let you know, but then it is alright, you know.” He tried to console her, but then she immediately resolved to hug and cover her face with her hands.

“Hey, come on, Val, it's me. Don't be like that. Tell me what is wrong with you, will you? You should really not be like this, you know.” He tried to get her to say all that was going on in her life, and yeah, it worked.

Although he was definitely not going to be the same after all of it, and given the fact that he was not being genuine in his therapy, of course he also had a thing for her deep down in his heart.

But he didn't think it was going to be right to make his point clear earlier on, and he had always tried to play the role of the nice guy. He was soon sure to need a therapist after all that he was going to be told.

“Come on, say something to me, will you? It's me. Nothing has changed, and I will not even get you judged, you know that, don't you? So don't be all secretive around me, okay? It really is not nice. How do you want me feeling if you don't feel good?” As he spoke, Val could not help being touched by his words, and for the first time in a while, she felt real joy and solitude, not artificially but naturally.

She was really gladdened deep in her heart, even though she really did not try to make it obvious in the least, but she was really touched.

“Yeah, Sam, it's okay; it's totally fine. You know, I really appreciate you coming at this time. I almost forgot I still had someone left in this world on my side. I thought I had lost it all, yeah, very much I thought that way, but then you spawned from nowhere, just like you always do. Are you sure you are not a godsend in my life? Because that is what you just do. You just make the whole difference, and nothing more to that; that is just what you do, and you do it just well. To be honest, I really appreciate it every bit. You know, I am really, really grateful, in all honesty."

Sam was all smiles as he cut her short.

“Yeah, alright, I have gotten the point, and I also appreciate it. It is my pleasure to serve you. Please tell me what it is that bothers you. You know, you have a shoulder to lean on; please make your troubles known so we can deal with it instantly. You know two heads will always be better than one, don't you?” She nodded, and he smiled, “Good girl, what is the problem this time?” She paused for a while, till she had caught her breath, and she had walked a little away from him, leaving him surprised, until she pointed to a chair that stood not far from where she was.

He was relieved, and it came with a smile.