"A Sudden Departure"

As I sat there, trying to reassure Alex that everything would be okay, my phone suddenly buzzed on the coffee table, shrill and insistent. I picked it up, expecting it to be a text from a friend or family member, but instead, I saw an email from my boss with a sense of urgency in the subject line: "Immediate Flight Notification". My heart sank as I opened the email and read the contents. I had been called in for a critical meeting on the other side of the world, and I had to leave in just a few hours. "A sudden departure" flashed through my mind, and I felt a pang of anxiety. I had to go, but what about Alex? We had just started to build a connection, and I couldn't just leave him now. I looked over at him, and he was watching me with a curious expression. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, noticing the concern etched on my face. I took a deep breath and tried to explain the situation. "I just got an email from my boss. I have to go on a 10-hour flight with a layover of a day. I have to leave in a few hours." Alex's expression changed from curiosity to surprise. "Whoa, that's sudden," he said, his voice filled with concern. "What about me?" I felt a pang of guilt. I had promised Alex that I would be here for him, and now I was leaving him just when he needed me most. "I don't know, Alex. I'll try to make arrangements for you to stay with a trusted friend or family member. But I'm not sure who or where." As I quickly scrambled to make arrangements, Alex stood up and walked over to the window. He stared out at the sky, his eyes fixed on some distant point. I could see the tension in his shoulders, and I knew that this sudden departure was not only stressful for me but also for him. "Hey, Alex, I'm sorry," I said, trying to reassure him. "I'll make sure you're taken care of. You're not alone in this." Alex turned around, his eyes searching for reassurance. "It's not just that," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I was starting to feel like I could trust you. Like I could finally relax and be myself." I felt a pang of regret and empathy. I knew that I was leaving him at a critical moment, and I didn't want to abandon him. "Alex, I promise you, I'm not abandoning you. I'll be back, and we'll continue where we left off. You just have to trust me, okay?" As I finished making the arrangements, I realized that I had to leave now. I grabbed my bag and stood up, looking at Alex with a mix of sadness and determination. "I'm going to make this work, Alex," I said, trying to sound convincing. "And I'll be back before you know it." With one last look, I turned and walked out the door, leaving Alex and our uncertain future behind. The sound of the door closing behind me felt like a temporary goodbye, and I knew that I would have to make it up to him when I returned.