Why Not?

It had been two years since they broke up, and Maya could still hear Jake's voice in her mind, even if she hadn't heard it in all that time.

"Why not?" he would say when faced with a challenge. It had been his favorite phrase, the mantra that had anchored their relationship, the idea that no matter the obstacle, they could push past it, together. The belief that if they loved each other enough, there was nothing they couldn't overcome.

But now, in the quiet of her room, as she traced the outline of her phone in her hands, Maya wondered if that belief had ever been real. Or was it just a comforting thought, a way of ignoring the harder truths they had both avoided?

She had thrown herself into her studies in Singapore-torn between the need to keep moving forward and the sinking feeling that something essential was missing. At first, the distance from Jake had been a relief. It gave her the space to breathe, to focus on herself without the constant strain of the relationship. But a year later, she realized that space hadn't just freed her; it had slowly carved away at something important within her, too.

The distance between them had grown like an invisible wall. She had once believed that if they loved each other enough, they could bridge it. But now, the simple truth of that question-Why not?-felt hollow. There had been no "why not" when it mattered. There had been only silence, unspoken fears, and the weight of distance neither of them had known how to handle.

Maya closed her eyes, remembering how easy it had once been to believe in endless possibilities. How their love had seemed invincible back then-like nothing could come between them. Jake's easy confidence had always been contagious. He had a way of making everything seem possible, as if all they needed was each other to make it work. His "Why not?" had been their anchor. But after their breakup, she hadn't heard that question from him, or herself, for so long.

Now, sitting in her room, surrounded by the muffled sounds of the city outside, she wasn't sure she even believed in that question anymore.

Jake, too, had felt the absence of that belief.

He had clung to it for as long as he could, even after Maya had left. Even when the silence stretched on, when the calls stopped, and the messages became fewer and fewer, Jake refused to believe that "Why not?" wasn't enough to bring them back together. He would repeat it to himself, over and over-Why not?-as if the words themselves could heal the rift between them.

In the two years since she had walked away, Jake had thrown himself into work, into friends, into anything that could numb the pain of the truth: Maya was gone. Not just physically, but emotionally. She had left him behind, and with her went the belief that love could conquer all. He had wanted to keep fighting, to believe that if he just kept pushing, kept asking Why not?, maybe they could still make it.

But life had a way of chipping away at the things you believed in. And eventually, even Jake had to admit that there were things you couldn't fight through sheer will. Two years of silence had driven that point home.

He still caught himself thinking of her sometimes, especially when something reminded him of the way they used to be-laughing over coffee, talking about their dreams, their future. And every time, his mind would whisper the same question, Why not? But it was never the same. That optimism, that certainty they once had in each other, had vanished. It wasn't just about missing her-it was about missing that belief, too.

For Maya, the absence of Why not? was like a void. It had been the foundation of their love, the thread that had held them together when the distance between them had seemed unbearable. The optimism that had once driven them both to make things work, to always push forward, was gone. And in its place was the silent realization that sometimes love just isn't enough. Sometimes, you need more than just the desire to make something work.

And that thought crushed her.

There was no Why not? anymore. There was no possibility of them being the way they had been. The question had gone from a promise to a cruel reminder of everything that had changed. The truth was that, despite their love, neither of them had known how to cope with the distance, the insecurity, and the silent misunderstandings that had built up over time. Why not? had been their answer to everything. But in the end, it hadn't been enough.

Maya had tried to move forward. She had tried to stop thinking about the way he had once looked at her, the way they had shared so many moments that felt like promises of forever. But the memories lingered.

And every time she thought of Jake, she couldn't help but wonder if, just maybe, the right question had been Why not? all along.

Jake, too, had tried to move on. He had told himself that Why not? wasn't enough anymore, that maybe it was time to stop chasing ghosts. But deep down, the question still lingered in his mind, like a haunting refrain. Why not? Why hadn't they made it? Why couldn't they have made it?

The "Why not?" was supposed to be their answer to every challenge. It had been their rallying cry, their defiance of the world's doubts. But now, two years later, it felt like a question he could never answer. Because if he asked it now-Why not?-the silence that followed felt like an accusation.

Maya had left, and he hadn't been able to hold on. And maybe, just maybe, Why not? wasn't enough after all.

Two years had passed. The world had moved on, but Maya and Jake had carried the weight of each other's absence.

Maya wondered, sometimes, if Jake had ever asked himself the same question. Had he been as lost without her as she had been without him? Or had he found a way to move on, to believe in something else? Maybe someone else?

She didn't know. And in some ways, she didn't want to know.

But the absence of Why not? haunted her. Because without it, what was left?