They started at the same point. Twenty years later, their roads looked nothing alike, but somehow led back to the same place.
Akos and Elsie met on their first day in engineering school.
They were inseparable, study partners, roommates, sisters in everything but blood. They both dreamed of designing bridges, leading teams, making history in a field that didn’t expect much from women.
After graduation, they promised to stay close.
But life, as it always does, had other plans.
⸻
At 24, Elsie got married. At 26, she had her first child. By 30, she had three kids under the age of 5. She worked too, part-time, then full-time. But there were late nights with fevers, school runs, forgotten science projects, and dishes that never ended.
Her career slowed down. Opportunities passed her by.
She missed a job offer abroad because her son was in the hospital. She didn’t apply for a manager role because she was pregnant with her third.
But she built something else, a home, a close-knit family, memories filled with birthday cakes and bedtime stories.
⸻
Akos went full throttle. She got her master’s, then worked in three countries before 35. She climbed the ladder fast, built a reputation for being tough, brilliant, and always available.
She worked holidays, skipped weddings, and told herself she’d settle down “next year.”
Next year never came.
She dated a few people along the way, but nothing stuck. By the time she hit 40, she had a gorgeous apartment, an impressive resumé, and silence. A deep, echoing silence every time she came home.
⸻
They met again at a mutual friend’s funeral. They hadn’t seen each other in years, but the moment their eyes met, the laughter came back like it never left.
A week later, they met for lunch.
They talked about everything, and finally, about that thing: the choices.
⸻
Elsie stirred her drink slowly. “There were days I envied you. The travel. The peace and quiet. You got to chase your dreams, fully. I haven’t had a full night’s sleep in two decades.”
Akos smiled sadly. “And I envied you. The kids. The chaos. The love. I’ve led teams in four countries but… no one runs into my arms when I come home.” They sat in silence.
Elsie sighed. “I wonder who got it right.”
Akos looked at her and said, “Maybe neither of us. Or maybe both.”
⸻
Elsie missed parts of herself she gave up, her ambition, her independence, the freedom to be selfish.
Akos missed moments she never got, first steps, family photos, growing old beside someone who knew her on bad days.
But they both had things the other didn’t. And both had moments of wondering, What if?
“Would you do it differently?” Elsie asked.
Akos took a long pause. “Maybe. Or maybe I’d just forgive myself more for what I couldn’t do at the same time.”
Elsie nodded. “Yeah. That part.”
⸻
They hugged when they left. Not a polite hug. A long one, the kind that says, I see you. I really see you.
Different paths. Same ache. Same strength.
Two women who made hard choices.
Two women still standing.
And somehow, that was enough.
