August, 2045

„What are you having on your mind, dear?“ Andrea asked, bringing Lisa back to reality.

It was the day after her trip to the lake with Tom. Lisa was just having a cup of coffee with Andrea, before starting their work. 

„Um…“ Lisa replied, not being sure, if she should share her thoughts with Tom’s grandma. 

„Did something happen yesterday?“ Andrea continued asking, already having an idea what was going with her. 

„I… Tom… he…“

„He likes you. A lot,“ Andrea finished her sentence. 

Lisa nodded. 

„But I told him, he shouldn’t.“

„Why that?“ 

Lisa looked into Andrea’s eyes.

„At home… there is guy… well… not just one… there are two…“ 

Andrea raised her eyebrows. 

„You have two boyfriends?“ 

Lisa scoffed cynically. 

„I have no boyfriend.“

„I’m a little lost, dear,“ Andrea said. 

„One of them is the love of my life, but I can’t have him because of the other.“ 

„It still makes no sense to me.“ 

„Exactly. Nothing makes sense. But it is what it is.“ 

Andrea realized Lisa wouldn’t give her more information. 

„You know, there is an old saying…“

„Which one?“ 

„When two people quarrel, the third rejoices.“ 

Lisa cracked a smile.

„Are you recommending opening up to Tom?“ 

„I recommend nothing, sweetheart. It’s just an old saying.“

The same night the atmosphere was tensed during dinner. Tom didn’t know how to deal with Lisa, after their conversation the prior day. He wanted to understand what was going on with her, but he also was aware of, that he didn’t have the right pushing her to tell him what went wrong in her love life.

Andrea couldn’t bare the silence at the table anymore. She stood up and grabbed her plate. 

„What are you doing?“ Tom asked confused. 

„I’ll finish my dish upstairs. Obviously you two need to talk things out.“ 

Then she left the situation. Lisa glanced at Tom. He looked back, without saying anything. 

„Um… I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings in any way… I didn’t mean to upset you…“ she said quietly. 

„You didn’t,“ Tom lied, focusing on his dish again. 

There was silence between them for another moment. 

„Really?“ Lisa finally said. 

Tom sighed and let his fork fall on the plate. 

„I really like you.“ 

„I like you, as well. But…“

„But what?“ 

„I left unfinished business behind.“

„Which business, Lisa?“ 

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

„I cheated on my boyfriend with his brother.“ 

Tom was shocked. He stared at her with his mouth open. Learning something like that about Lisa disappointed him. He expected, that she was in some kind of trouble. But this was more he could handle right in that moment. 

„Wow,“ he said cynically. „Now I understand why you claimed being toxic.“ 

His judging tone upset her. 

„I know it was wrong, Tom.“ 

He continued eating his dish.

„Then why you did that?“ 

„I was with my boyfriend’s brother first. But things went terribly out of control. He left for a very long time. I believed I’ve lost him forever. But then he came back out of a sudden.“ 

Tom scoffed.

„That’s a lame excuse, to be honest.“ 

Lisa heard enough. She regretted, that she let him know what happened back home. The last thing she needed was someone else blaming her for her mistakes. Without saying another word, she stood up and left the house. 

Tom sighed with deep frustration. He knew he had no right treating Lisa like this. Instead being grateful, that she finally opened up to him, he just made her feel miserable.

As soon as Lisa shut the door behind herself, her eyes filled with tears. She hurried to her bike parking in front of Andrea’s garage and left the property. She rode it faster than she should. With her blurry eyes she overlooked a branch lying on the street and immediately lost balance as she drove over. 

„FUUUUUCK!“ She yelled, falling off her bike. 

She injured one elbow and her knees, as she was just wearing shorts and a tanktop. Her frustration couldn’t get any bigger. Hastily she wiped away her tears and stood up. Then she lifted up her bike. The chain went off and the handlebar was twisted. Her frustration reached it’s peak, seeing her pretty bike being damaged. 

Andrea returned downstairs after a while. Tom was still sitting in the dining room, staring at his empty plate.

„What happened?“ she wanted to know. 

„I was an asshole, I guess,“ Tom said quietly. 

Andrea came closer and cupped his cheek with one hand. 

„My grandson is not an asshole. That I know for sure.“ 

Tom forced a smile. 

„She told me about her trouble at home and I judged her instead being grateful, that she told me.“

„This is not the end of the world, sweetheart.“ 

„But she’s mad at me now.“ 

„Then go and make things right.“