“No, sweetheart. At home, the very walls help you heal. The air here is different. From my window, I can see the garden. Sometimes George helps me out to the bench, and I just look at my flowers, and it feels like the pain fades away. When the apples are ripe, I hold one in my hands and breathe in the scent, and it feels like I’m drawing strength from it. Why would I leave all this for a brick box and plastic-tasting fruits and vegetables? No, Tessa, thank you, but I’m not going.”
Her grandfather echoed her sentiment. “Tess, don’t pressure us. Vera and I have put down deep roots here. It’s like with old trees: if you try to transplant them, they get sick, and sometimes they just give up.”
So Tessa relented. Her grandmother passed away peacefully on her favorite bench, looking out at her garden. She never got to meet her granddaughter’s fiancé. This was yet another coincidence that Tessa saw as a sign of the dark cloud hanging over her. Just a short time before her grandmother’s death, she had fallen in love.
Tessa had always avoided getting close to men. It wasn’t easy, as she was an attractive young woman who also owned her own apartment. Her grandmother had often warned her that her looks and property might attract the wrong kind of attention. But it wasn’t just her grandmother’s advice that held her back. Tessa was afraid that her personal happiness would lead to new sorrow. Whenever a nice, even well-off man showed interest, she would pull away. She wasn’t willing to pay such a high price for happiness.
None of her friends or colleagues knew how desperately she wanted to fall head over heels in love, to have a child. But she forbade herself from even dreaming of it. She poured all her energy into her work, and on weekends, she went to her grandfather’s to help with chores and keep him company. The long bus rides were time-consuming, and a taxi was an unaffordable luxury. She considered learning to drive, but she didn’t have a car and wasn’t sure she could overcome the deep-seated fear left by her parents’ accident. She worried that a mental block would make driving impossible for her.
Only Tony, whose appearance in her life Tessa considered a miraculous coincidence, managed to dispel her fears and awaken unexpected feelings. He had entered her life quietly, at a time when she had no intention of starting a relationship. It began when she mentioned to colleagues that she wanted to try learning to drive, admitting her anxieties. One coworker, who had failed her own driving test multiple times, suggested finding a private instructor online.
“Tessa, take it from someone who’s been there. Learn from my mistakes. First, find someone online who provides their own car for lessons. Go for a trial lesson, see how it feels. It’s better than paying a fortune upfront at a driving school. I paid for the whole course, went to a few classes… the theory part was fine, but when we got to the practical lessons, I realized it just wasn’t for me. I stubbornly passed the test on my third try, and now my license just gathers dust in a drawer. I take the bus or a taxi, and I’m perfectly happy. Honestly, I would have been better off buying a nice pair of shoes with that money.”
Her colleague’s words resonated with Tessa. She had serious doubts about her own ability to handle a car. So, after browsing some ads, she called a few private instructors. Most turned her down when they learned she didn’t have a car. But a man named Tony agreed.
“It’s not ideal, but let’s give it a try. I’m booked this week, but if you want, meet me this weekend by the turnoff near the wholesale market. I’ll take you to a practice course, and we’ll see how it goes.”
After settling the details, they hung up. Tessa was a little nervous, but the instructor’s online reviews were overwhelmingly positive, so she felt safe. When they met, she was still anxious.
Tony made a good impression. He was trim, with a pleasant voice and kind eyes, and he had a natural charm. When he would accidentally brush her hand while showing her how to shift gears, Tessa felt a strange flutter. She was sure he noticed her blushing, which made it even harder to concentrate. With fifteen minutes left in the hour-long lesson, she finally gave up. “Tony, I’m sorry, but let’s just end this. I’ve realized today that driving is definitely not for me. Don’t worry, I’ll pay for the full hour.”
He smiled, trying to encourage her. “Don’t give up so easily. Not everyone gets it right away. And let me tell you from experience, when it goes too perfectly from the start, that’s actually worse. The student gets overconfident, stops listening, and the road doesn’t forgive carelessness. So think about it. If you change your mind, give me a call.”
Tessa nodded. “Could you just drop me at the bus stop, please?”
But he made a counteroffer. “I’m heading into the city anyway. Let me give you a ride home. Besides, I kind of owe you for the unfinished lesson.”
Exhausted from the mental strain of driving, Tessa agreed. During the ride, she found herself opening up to Tony, telling him why she was so determined to learn to drive. He listened without interrupting. When they parted, he refused to take her money but asked if he could take her on a date.
“You know, I had such a great time talking with you, I feel like I should be paying you.”
Their romance began with that date, when Tony took her to see a stock car race. Tessa tried to deny to herself that she was falling in love. Tony was the only man she ever introduced to her grandfather. That, too, happened almost by chance. She had told him they wouldn’t be able to see each other for a week. “I’m taking some time off to go to the country. I need to help my grandpa with the harvest. He tries to act tough, but I know it’s hard for him.”
To her surprise, Tony responded, “Well, I don’t have any plans. I can get someone to cover for me. I’ll drive you up and lend a hand. We’ll get it done faster, and have more time to relax. I don’t want to be away from my favorite girl, and an extra pair of hands will definitely help.”
Blushing, Tessa agreed. She worried her grandfather wouldn’t like Tony, but the introduction went smoothly. The young man wasn’t very skilled with a shovel and kept slicing through potatoes, so he was quickly reassigned. But his help carrying the heavy sacks of potatoes to be dried, sorted, and stored in the cellar was invaluable. Seizing a moment when Tony was tinkering with his car, her grandfather put an arm around her and delivered his verdict. “This Tony seems like a good man. He doesn’t shy away from work, and it’s clear he’s crazy about you. But I wouldn’t rush things. You said you’ve only been seeing him for a few months. Take your time, get to know him better. It’s a shame your grandmother isn’t here. She could see right through people. Vera would have known for sure what kind of man he really is.”
But all Tessa heard were the words about Tony’s positive qualities. She didn’t wait for him to propose; she practically did it herself. One day, he complained that he had to move because his landlord was giving the apartment to his newly married daughter. “I don’t want to move back in with my mom. My sister and her family are there, the kids are running wild… it’s chaos.”
On impulse, Tessa invited him. “Listen, why don’t you move in with me? It would be more convenient. You need a quiet place to rest between your long-haul trips. And we’d get to see each other more. Lately, it feels like we can never line up our schedules.”
Tony was overjoyed. “You’re a lifesaver,” he said, thanking her profusely.
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