Confessions in the Night

The cool night air continued to envelop us as we sat on the bench in the small plaza. The silence between Sack and me wasn't uncomfortable, but rather comforting. It was as if we both knew we didn't need to fill every second with words; sometimes, just being there was enough. However, after a few minutes, I felt there was something more I wanted to share with him. Something I had kept to myself for a long time.

I straightened up slightly, moving my head away from his shoulder to look at him. His eyes were fixed on the distant city lights, but when he noticed I was watching him, he turned his face toward me.

"You know?" I began hesitantly. "There's something I've never told you. Well, I haven't told Olivia either. It's… personal."

Sack looked at me curiously but didn't say anything. His expression was calm, as if patiently waiting for me to find the right words. That calmness gave me the push I needed to continue.

"I have anemia," I finally said, lowering my gaze to my intertwined hands. "I've had it for years. I have to take iron pills almost every day to stay okay. Sometimes it's hard because I get tired more easily or feel weak without warning."

There was a brief silence before Sack responded.

"I knew," he said simply, his seriousness surprising me.

I looked up, startled.

"You knew? How?"

He smiled faintly, as if recalling something.

"The second time I saw you at Starbucks, when you were working on your laptop, I saw you drop some pills when you stood up. Daniel was with me, but I didn't tell him. I picked them up and kept them. I still have them, though I'd forgotten about them until now."

My eyes widened.

"You have them? Why didn't you say anything then?"

Sack shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

"I didn't think it was my place to say anything. Besides, it seemed like you didn't want to talk about it at the time. So I decided to keep it to myself."

A lump formed in my throat. I knew he was right; back then, I probably would have avoided the topic if anyone had brought it up. But now, hearing that he already knew made it easier to open up.

"I was scared," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "Scared that if I said it, people would treat me differently. Like I was fragile or needed constant help. I didn't want anyone to feel sorry for me."

Sack nodded slowly, as if he completely understood what I was saying.

"I get it. But Lindsay, you don't have to be afraid of that with us. Not with me or Olivia. We're your friends, and we love you for who you are. If something affects you, we don't see it as a weakness. We just want to know how we can support you."

His words made me feel a warmth in my chest that I hadn't felt in a long time. It was as if a part of me that had been tense for years was finally relaxing.

"Thank you," I said, my voice trembling. "You have no idea how much it means to hear that."

Sack looked at me with a small, warm smile.

"You don't have to thank me. We're a team, remember? The good, the bad, the complicated… all of it."

I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and gratitude. Talking about my anemia had always been a delicate subject for me. In the past, some people had reacted with pity or even excessive concern, as if my condition defined who I was. But with Sack, it was different. He didn't see me as weak or vulnerable; he just saw me as Lindsay.

"And what about you?" I asked after a moment, looking directly at him. "Is there something you've never told me?"

Sack fell silent for a moment, as if carefully considering his words. Then, with a sigh, he said:

"I think you already know the most important things. My mom, the letter… all of that. But there's something I might not have explicitly told you."

He paused, and for a moment, I thought he wasn't going to continue. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the unmistakable sound of an incoming video call interrupted the moment. We both glanced at our phones almost simultaneously and saw Olivia's name flashing on the screen.

"It's Olivia," Sack said, raising an eyebrow with a half-smile. "She's probably looking for us because we haven't talked in the group chat since this morning."

I nodded, feeling a small pang of guilt. With everything that had happened today, we hadn't even had time to check in with her. I swiped to accept the call, and Olivia's animated face appeared on the screen, taking up almost the entire frame.

"Happy Thanksgiving, guys!" she exclaimed, with her characteristic energy, as if it were completely normal to make a video call at this hour of the night. "Where have you been? I've been waiting all day for our traditional post-dinner meetup!"

Lindsay smiled, unable to resist catching her enthusiasm.

"Sorry, Olivia. It's been a… long day."

Olivia frowned dramatically, leaning closer to the camera as if trying to scrutinize our expressions.

"Long? What happened? Are you okay?"

Before we could respond, Olivia abruptly changed the subject, as she always did when something excited her too much.

"But first, I HAVE to tell you what happened during today's Family Trivia! You won't believe it! I lost this year!"

Sack raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

"You lost? That's new. I thought you were unbeatable in that competition."

"Exactly! That's what I thought too!" Olivia gestured dramatically with her hands, as if performing on a stage. "But it turns out my cousin Kevin and his team cheated. I'm sure they used Google during the history round. History, Sack! Who needs to look that up if you have someone like me in the family?"

Lindsay let out a small laugh, but Olivia didn't seem entirely joking.

"Olivia, are you sure it wasn't just bad luck?" she asked, trying to calm her down.

"Of course I'm sure!" Olivia responded, crossing her arms in front of the camera. "I mean, who else could know that Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod without Googling it? No one! Except me, obviously."

Sack shook his head, smiling.

"Well, technically, Franklin didn't exactly invent the lightning rod…"

"Don't interrupt me with your historical facts now, Sack!" Olivia cut him off, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "This is serious. My Trivia champion title was on the line."

For a moment, it seemed like Olivia was going to continue her monologue about the injustice of the situation, but then her expression suddenly changed. Her eyes widened as she alternated her gaze between Sack and me."Wait a second…" Olivia said slowly, leaning even closer to the camera. "Are you two together? In the same place?"

Lindsay and Sack exchanged a quick glance before she responded.

"Yes, we're in a plaza near downtown. Sack wanted to talk, so I came to see him after dinner with my family."

Olivia frowned but didn't seem as surprised as one might expect.

"And why didn't you tell me before? Though… well, it's not like I could have gone, living so far away. But still, you could have said something."

Lindsay rolled her eyes, smiling slightly.

"Olivia, we saw each other yesterday at Stanford before heading home. We literally just spent time together. Plus, you were busy with your Family Trivia, and we… well, this wasn't planned. It was spontaneous."

"Still," Olivia retorted, pretending to be offended. "You could have sent me a message saying, 'Hey, we're having a deep moment without you.' That way, I could have emotionally prepared myself."

Sack burst out laughing, shaking his head.

"Olivia, no one has time to emotionally prepare you for anything. I don't even think there's a guide for that."

Olivia made an exaggerated gesture of indignation, though it was clear she was joking.

"Touché, Sack. But seriously, why are you two together? Did something important happen?"

Lindsay hesitated for a moment, glancing at Sack. He gave her a slight nod, giving her permission to decide how much she wanted to share. Finally, she opted for something simple.

"I just needed to talk. Family stuff. Nothing serious, but… well, you know how it is."

Olivia nodded, though her expression softened.

"I understand. Well, if you need anything, you know I'm just a video call away. Even if I live in another state, I'm always here for you guys."

"Thanks, Olivia," Sack replied, his sincerity making even me feel lighter. "It means a lot."

Olivia smiled widely, quickly changing the subject.

"Alright, now that that's settled, what do you say we do something epic when we get back to Stanford in two days? You know, to make up for this little secret meetup."

"Something epic?" Sack asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know yet," Olivia replied, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "But it'll be something memorable. Something to make us forget we're about to face another round of exams and projects."

Lindsay smiled, feeling a wave of gratitude for having friends like them.

"Alright, Olivia. Whatever you want. Just make sure it doesn't involve breaking any university rules."

"I can't promise anything," Olivia joked, winking. "Well, I'll let you two get back to your deep moment. See you in Stanford in two days. And remember: no secrets without me!"

After a few more minutes of light conversation, we finally said goodbye to Olivia. When I hung up the call, I turned to Sack with an amused smile.

"That girl will never change, will she?"

Sack shook his head, still smiling.

"Not even if she wanted to. And I think we're all better off that way."

We fell silent for a moment, enjoying the calm that had returned after Olivia's interruption. I knew there were still things I wanted to say, but for now, I felt like this day had been enough.

"You should head back home," Sack said finally, his tone soft but firm. "Your family must be worried."

I nodded, standing up.

"You're right. Thanks for this, Sack. For listening. For being here."

He looked at me with that calmness that always managed to soothe me.

"Always, Lindsay. That's what we do."

We said goodbye with a smile, and as I drove back home, I couldn't help but feel that this day, despite everything, had been one of the most special ones I'd ever lived.