A Story A Day. Story 358 of 365: Best (Part XVIII).

The music stopped suddenly, and someone else took Frode's place. Ismene hadn't been listening to the music since he had left, anyway, so she didn't realize it had stopped. Peter had sat beside her as soon as he realized there was something else in her mind.

-Love troubles?- he asked kindly. 

-Mmmm? No, well, sort of. 

-You, young people, always overthink too much. But it's not your fault, you're afraid of making mistakes. When you get older, you realize that your life is the mistakes you've made, and that the only things you regret are the ones you didn't do because you were too afraid. 

-But,... 

-There are no buts, young lady. Follow your heart, do what makes you happy, love who makes you happy, and if they don't make you happy anymore, move on. Life is hard enough to do something or be with someone who makes you feel bad. 

-And what would you do if there were two people who made you feel happy? 

The old man looked away, taking a minute to think. He bite the fingernails on his left hand, focusing on an undetermined point on the other side of the river. 

-Then you need to chose. I was on your situation in my youth. I loved two women, both of them were extraordinary, and I could have been happy with any of the two. One was from my hometown, she was sweet, and perfect, and I had known her for many years, I had liked her for some time, but she was shy and she never told me she liked me back until I started touring the country. I met the other woman during the tour, she played the violoncello, and was the most independent woman I had ever met, it was always easy to talk to her, she was strongwilled, and knew what she wanted. I liked them both, and in a way I loved them both. Surprisingly, they loved me back. However, when I was with one I always thought about the other. I couldn't choose, I couldn't compromise. Both had good things, and I needed both. There was a point they couldn't wait anymore, and they moved on. Because I couldn't take a decision I was left alone. I regretted not having been able to settle for any of them for a long time, knowing that I would have been happy with any of them. 

-And what happened later? 

-I met the one who would end up becoming my wife, some years later. Yet, the years in between were hard. I was mad at myself for a long time, crazy because I had it all and threw it through the window. It took me some time before I was able to love again, it was a journey of self-discovery. In the end I was happy, but sometimes I still wonder what would have happened, how much different would it be. 

-What should I do?- she was almost seeing her future, whether it worked with one or with the other, she needed to chose not to be haunted with it. 

-Follow your heart. Maybe it is confused now, but at one point it will know what to do. When it does, chose. 

-What if it never does? What if I still want them both? What if I keep dating both of them until there's no turning back? 

-Don't worry about it now. The moment will come when you'll be able to decide. 

-Thank you, Peter. 

-My pleasure. 

Still, Ismeme wasn't sure about it. She could still lose both of them, she would lose both of them. She had expected to clear up her mind during that weekend, and somehow it had only gone to worse. Standing up, she thanked Peter again, and left. There was more people walking around, and Ismene started feeling overwhelmed. She had to go home, hide away. She couldn't bear facing either Leo or Frode again, not that day, not like that.