The Promise Across the Mountains

Chapter One – The Goodbye That Was Never Spoken

The year was 1991, and life in Kosovo had begun to change. The streets that were once filled with laughter now echoed with uncertainty. Every family carried fear in their hearts, never knowing what tomorrow would bring.

One crisp autumn afternoon, Lora was walking home from school when she noticed one of Dorian's closest friends standing at the corner of the street. His face was pale, and he avoided looking into her eyes.

"Lora," he said quietly, "I have something to tell you."

She smiled, expecting him to say that Dorian was waiting somewhere nearby.

Instead, he lowered his head.

"Dorian left for Switzerland."

For a moment, the world around her stopped.

"What do you mean... he left?" she whispered.

"He had to go. There wasn't any time."

Lora stared at him in disbelief. She had seen Dorian almost every day at school, yet he had never mentioned leaving. Not even a goodbye.

Tears filled her eyes.

"He would never leave without telling me."

Her friend tried to comfort her.

"The Serbian police were looking for him. They wanted to force young men into the Serbian army. He had no choice."

But Lora could barely hear the words.

She walked home with tears streaming down her face, wondering why the boy she loved had disappeared without a single farewell.

That night she prayed for his safety.

And every night after that, she whispered the same prayer before she fell asleep.

Chapter Two – A Voice Across the Distance

Nearly eighteen months passed.

No letters.

No messages.

No news.

Lora slowly learned to hide her sadness behind a smile. She continued her studies, helped her family, and carried on with life, but every time the telephone rang, her heart skipped a beat.

One cold evening, just after eleven o'clock, the telephone rang again.

She answered quietly.

"Hello?"

For a brief moment there was silence.

Then she heard the voice she had dreamed about every night.

"Lora..."

Her hands began to tremble.

"Dorian?"

"Yes," he answered softly.

She could no longer hold back her tears.

"I thought I'd lost you."

"I wanted to call so many times," he said. "But I was trying to get my immigration papers. Everything was uncertain. I never stopped thinking about you."

Lora leaned against the wall as tears rolled down her face.

"I missed you every single day."

"I need you to be patient," Dorian whispered. "One day I'll come back. And when I do... I want you to be my wife."

Her heart filled with hope.

"I'll wait," she replied in a trembling voice. "No matter how long it takes."

Before ending the call, Dorian spoke the words she would remember forever.

"You were my first love... and you will always be my last."

The line went silent.

But for the first time in many months, Lora smiled through her tears.

Chapter Three – Waiting on Faith

The years continued to pass.

Each season arrived and disappeared like the pages of a calendar.

Spring brought flowers.

Summer brought sunshine.

Autumn carried memories.

Winter brought silence.

At first, Lora waited beside the telephone every evening.

Then every weekend.

Eventually, she stopped counting the days.

There were no more calls.

No letters.

No promises renewed.

Sometimes she wondered whether Dorian had become too busy building a new life in Switzerland.

Sometimes she feared he had found someone else.

Those thoughts haunted her heart, but she never allowed bitterness to replace love.

One evening, as the sun disappeared behind the mountains, Lora sat quietly outside her family home.

She looked toward the sky and whispered a simple prayer.

"If we are meant to be together, God will bring him back to me."

For the first time in years, she felt peace.

She realized that love is not only about waiting—it is also about trusting.

Trusting time.

Trusting life.

And trusting God.

Whatever the future held, Lora knew one thing for certain.

Some promises live not in words, but in the heart.

And no distance could ever take that away.

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