What does this text need: Emily and I will leave in the morning. I’m not sure when we’ll be back, but I know one thing: it won’t be for a while…’ Cristina’s voice was filled with a wavering determination as she made the announcement. 
Suddenly, her resolve crumbled, and her knees buckled, causing her to drop slightly. 
She managed to catch herself on the sink-counter, the cool surface providing the only support that prevented her from collapsing fully onto the floor.

Seeing her distress, Jon swiftly pulled out a chair and helped her sit down. 
He hurried to fill a glass with cold water and handed it to her. Cristina gratefully took the glass and placed her elbow on the table, her forehead resting in her hand.
 The hard surface pressed against her skin, providing a sense of stability in the midst of the overwhelming situation. 
The magnitude of what was happening was too much for her to comprehend, shaking her beliefs to the core. “I think I just need a good night’s sleep,” she finally uttered, her voice slightly quivering.

Concerned, Jon frowned but glanced around the living room to ensure no one else was present before whispering, “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Cristina replied, taking a sip of her coffee to steady herself. “Have you ever heard of residual grief?”

Jon pondered for a moment, unsure if this was a joke or a serious question. But as a tear slipped down Cristina’s cheek followed by another and another, her hand trembling violently, he reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, offering a calming touch.

“Tell me what’s happening, Mom. You can tell me, even if you feel unable to,” Jon gently urged.

She had always been the rock in their family, the pillar of stability, but now her world was crumbling like an avalanche falling apart. “I’m sorry,” Cristina muttered, her voice filled with regret.

Jon gripped her hands tightly, searching her eyes for understanding. “Hey, for what?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.

“For everything,” Cristina replied, turning away in embarrassment.

Confused, Jon prompted, “What do you mean by everything?”

Taking a shaky breath, Cristina continued, tears streaming down her face. “For something that happened long ago… Before you were born,” she revealed, her distress evident.

Jon fell silent, his mind swirling with unanswered questions. “Could you try to help me understand? So that I can help, if I can? That’s all I ask,” he finally said, his voice filled with a mix of concern and curiosity.

“I’m just afraid if I tell you… it will tear us apart,” Cristina confessed, her words rushed and frantic.

“What could be so dreadful?” Jon asked softly, his voice filled with a reassuring tone.

Taking a moment to compose herself, Cristina smiled through her tears, then leaned forward and kissed Jon on the cheek. “A long time before I met your father, I was with a man named Michael, and he loved me,” she began, her voice filled with both nostalgia and pain.

Curiosity piqued, Jon asked, “How did the two of you meet?”

Cristina looked up at him, her gaze clouded with memories of Michael, making it difficult for her to speak. “You should probably leave now. I think I might need some space,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“He was striking and had known of me for a while. I was so self-conscious that I could barely look at him,” Cristina began, her voice filled with vulnerability. “But eventually, I summoned the nerve to make eye contact and smile. He sat there, not saying a word. We remained locked in an awkward silence, neither of us knowing what to say.”

She hesitated, and then continued, “Eventually, he said, ‘What was that you said about nothing being worth the wait?’” “This nightmare engulfed me, plunging me into a state of utter helplessness,” I said, my voice trembling with emotion.
“I didn’t know what to do,” I added, the words barely escaping my lips.
“Deep humiliation and a heavy sense of self-loathing consumed me,” I lamented, my voice filled with anguish.
As tears streamed down my face, I hailed a taxi, seeking solace in the hollow comfort of its anonymity.
“Overwhelmed by uncertainty,” I confessed, my voice wavering, “I kept wondering if I should have disclosed my single status.”
Regret and self-doubt coursed through my veins, leaving me mortified and humiliated.
“And those opinions of my female colleagues at work,” I sighed, the weight of their judgment intensifying my anguish.