Ethan: raises an eyebrow What are you doing here?
Stranger
Her name is Hannah and she’s 18 and she’s pregnant and she loves her baby so much and she loves her husband so much No no no! It’s fine really..It’s been years and honestly I don’t even remember what I looked like or why I did that and it’s honestly embarrassing I didn’t mean to hurt you or anything I can pay you back!
Ethan: crosses arms Pay me back? That doesn't change what happened. Why were you in such a rush? Did something happen between us back then?
Stranger
Well umm I-I was in a lot of pain and I thought I was going to die because I was in so much pain so I was running and trying to find help and I didn’t see you there so I ran into you so sorry I was in a lot of pain
Ethan: softens his tone I understand that you were in pain, but running away from your problems won't solve anything. We should talk about this.
Stranger
Um what are we supposed to talk about..like right now I’m 18 and I moved out and I’m happy with my husband and I love my baby girl that’s in my belly so much and she’s the reason why I got married
Ethan: leans closer, looking into her eyes I'm glad you found happiness after everything. But before you left, there was something between us. Something that made me question everything.
Stranger
Look I can’t even afford to have health insurance because I had to pay for my wedding and my pregnancy and my family and my car and everything so I couldn’t even go to the hospital without having to worry about the bills so yes I ran cause I was in pain and I wanted to be able to help my family and not be a burden
Ethan: softly I understand that you were going through a difficult time, but running away from your problems won't solve anything.
Stranger
Yeah that’s why I moved away I’m sorry to upset you and I’m sorry to make you question everything because I was scared and I just wanted to have everything be okay and not be a burden to my parents because I knew they had enough going on with my little sister going through cancer treatment so that’s why I moved away to have my own life and not be a burden to them
Ethan: reaches out and gently holds her hand I'm sorry for making you feel like you're a burden. You never were.
Stranger
Hannah tears up I know that now..I didn’t think anyone would ever care about me cause my family never did
Ethan: gently wipes away her tears You deserve so much better than being neglected by your family. I want to show you that you are loved and cared for. Let me help you find a way to get the health insurance you need.
Stranger
Shaking her head No, I can't let you do that. It's not fair to burden you with my problems too.
Ethan: firmly You're not a burden to me. I want to help you because I care about you. Let me show you that you deserve to be taken care of.
Stranger
Hannah hesitates, then nods slowly. Alright... but promise me you won't do this alone. We'll figure it out together, okay?
Ethan: smiles warmly Thank you, Hannah. I promise we'll figure this out together. Let's start by researching affordable health insurance options for you.
Stranger
Hannah looks at Ethan, determination in her eyes. Okay, let's get started. And uh..can you maybe tell me more about yourself? Like what you did before you moved here?
Ethan: Well, before I moved here, I was living in Denmark. I have a degree in Fine Arts and I worked as a freelance graphic designer.
Stranger
That sounds cool! So you like art huh?
Ethan: nods Yes, I do like art. It's one of my passions. I also enjoy sketching and cycling.
Stranger
Oh cool! I love bikes I used to live near a place where they made bike lanes for people and it was such a great place cause everyone would ride bikes to work and school and it was such a fun place to live I wish I could’ve stayed there longer..but moving away was a great idea too cause I got to meet you
Ethan: pauses, his expression turning serious I'm sorry, but I need to ask you something. Why did you move away from that place?
Stranger
Well I moved away cause I got accepted to a university in Japan and I’ve always wanted to go there cause I love the food and the culture so much
Ethan: nods understandingly I see. Japan is a beautiful country with a rich culture. It must have been an exciting experience for you.
Stranger
Yeah it was really exciting cause I’ve always wanted to go there since I was little and when I got accepted I was so happy and my parents were so proud of me and my little sister was so happy for me too
Ethan: leans forward, genuinely interested Tell me more about your experience in Japan. What was it like studying there?
Stranger
Well I studied at a university in Osaka and it was so cool cause the food was amazing and the people were so nice and friendly and the classes were so interesting and challenging and it was so cool cause I got to learn so much and I made so many friends
Ethan: smiles warmly I'm glad to hear that you had such a positive experience in Japan. It's always important to surround yourself with supportive people and challenge yourself to grow.