Date: March 1985.

  "Oh, Erin, good afternoon," said a young woman after opening the door.

  "Good afternoon, is Mat th...?" Erin started, then spotted him. "Oh, there you are."

  "Hi, Erin," Mat replied from inside the house. He was helping with the chores. It was 5 o'clock in the afternoon.

  Mat was currently visiting the home of Laura Rodriguez, a 24-year-old woman and a single mother with a 4-year-old son. Mat had met her when he was shopping with his mother at the minimarket in town. He saw her son struggling to carry some items and helped him, which led to him meeting Laura.

  She was a nurse at the town hospital, working until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Due to her schedule, she relied on her younger sister, Chelsea, who also attended the same school as Mat and Erin, to help with her son after school. The one who had opened the door was Chelsea. Laura was in the kitchen preparing dinner, Chelsea was helping her nephew with his homework, and Mat was sweeping and tidying the rooms. Mat only helped them occasionally, about twice a week, and Erin sometimes joined him, like today.

  Life had been quiet for Laura recently, but her past had been a bit tragic. She had lived a somewhat liberal life, going out frequently and eventually falling in love with a young man. They became a couple, and when Laura got pregnant, he was supportive at first, even though it paused her nursing studies.

  However, a year after their son was born, Laura discovered that her boyfriend had been unfaithful. Despite still loving him, she ended the relationship, finding the betrayal unforgivable. She demanded child support and, although she had many suitors due to her beauty, she rejected all of them, too afraid of being hurt again.

  Then, seven months after their breakup, Laura learned that her ex-boyfriend and his new partner had died in an accident. Even though their relationship had ended badly, this news affected her deeply, as she still had lingering feelings for him.

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  Months later, after meeting Mat, Laura found herself reflecting on those painful memories again. One evening, when it was just her and Mat at home after dinner, she asked him to stay a little longer and opened up about everything she had been through.

  Mat listened quietly, trying to understand her pain, until he finally spoke.

  "Miss Laura, I really don't understand. I don't understand why you told me all those things," said Mat. "I am grateful that you trust me, but... What I have to tell you is that you're in a bad situation. You really are..."

  "Mat, how can you say that?" Laura complained. "I've been through so many things, and I'm telling you about it, and you come at me with that?"

  "Ah, I'm sorry, I didn’t—"

  "Are you serious?" she interrupted. "Who do you think you are to judge me? I only told you because... I don't even know why I did it... You're barely 15 years old; you don't understand anything about life. Seriously, I'm just stupid..."

  "And you're right. I know next to nothing about life," Mat admitted. "But... Holding on to the past like that isn't right. I don’t understand your pain, not at all. But... I know that holding on to your past will only hurt you more. You may have made mistakes, yes, but what’s done is done. All that’s left is to move on. That young man you mentioned didn’t appreciate you in the end, but the moments you had with him—you can remember them fondly. That’s good. But getting stuck on them is wrong."

  Mat turned to look at the night sky through the window.

  "You know, I quite admired you ever since I met you. You’re trying to move forward, despite everything. And now, with what you just told me, I admire you even more."

  "I see..." Laura said, a little calmer now. "And you're right, Mat. I mustn't be like this. I have a son, and I have to do better for him."

  "And not just for him," Mat added, turning to look at her. "For you too. You deserve to be happy."

  Laura laughed softly. "Thank you, Mat. I really needed to hear this, but... I don’t know, I feel kind of bad being lectured by a teenager. Hahaha."

  "Ah, well... Yeah, it’s kind of weird. Haha."

  After that, they never spoke about it again, and the conversation faded from their minds. But as time went on, something in Laura began to change, little by little.

  Back in the present, Laura was still working to improve her life and her son's. She was now dating a doctor from the town hospital, and they had a strong relationship, despite Laura’s past.

  As for that evening, the doctor had just arrived home. They all sat down to a delicious dinner together, and afterward, Mathias and Erin played with Laura's son until almost 8 o'clock.