I can't sleep

                                    

                                          
---
“Hello, Mum," Cann says as he picks up the phone.
“Oh my god, son, are you alright?" his mother’s worried voice cuts through the line.
“I’m alright," Cann replies in a calm, steady voice, though he feels the weight of mental and emotional exhaustion pressing down on him.
“But what happened between you and Delitz? I hope you’re alright,” she presses, her concern deepening.
“It’s nothing, Mum. Just a small fight. I’ve decided to take a break and focus on my upcoming films.”
“Are you sure that’s all you want to tell me?” Cann’s mother asks suspiciously, sensing there might be more beneath his surface-level response.
Cann’s heart tightens, and suspicion of his own rises. What might Delitz have told his mother?
“Yes, that’s all," he says, his voice lowering.
“I went to City Model Hospital with your father for routine checkups today,” his mother informs him, shifting the conversation abruptly.
“Are you alright? Do you need me to come?" Cann asks, his worry surfacing briefly before the realization hits. City Model Hospital. It’s the same hospital where he was admitted three weeks ago—the night Ritika had brought him in.
“So... you know?” he says, the words barely leaving his mouth.
“I do,” his mother replies, her voice tinged with hurt. “How could you hide this from me, son? You’ve hurt me.” She starts to cry softly.
“I’m sorry, Mum. I didn’t want you to worry... but I’m fine now.”
“Hmmm,” she murmurs, her sadness lingering.
“The doctor told us a girl brought you in that night. If she hadn’t... it could’ve been much worse,” she continues.
Cann smiles faintly, his mind replaying that night. It was the first time he met her, the first time he saw her, the first time he felt something he hadn’t expected—love. Love at first sight.
“Yes, her name is Ritika. Coincidentally, she’s been my neighbor for a few weeks now," Cann says, the smile in his voice apparent.
“Oh, is she? Well, you must bring her to Christmas dinner. I want to meet her," his mother insists.
“I will,” Cann replies, still smiling, picturing Ritika in his mind.
For the next half-hour, all Cann can talk about is Ritika. He tells his mother how beautiful she is, how strong, how smart. His mother listens, taken aback by her son’s enthusiasm—she's never heard him talk this way about anyone before. She can sense he’s falling for her, and while it worries her, it also brings her joy to hear him so happy again.
Cann is deep in conversation when he sees Taniz’s name flash on the screen. “Okay, Mum. Taniz is calling. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Alright, son. Love you.”
“I love you too, Mum. And don’t worry—I won’t forget to bring Ritika for Christmas dinner.”
“Goodbye, then. Take care.”
Cann ends the call, and as he sits back in his chair, something he said to his mother echoes in his mind. “She’s my neighbor for a few weeks.” 
The thought stirs something in him. Ritika is leaving soon. She’ll have to return home.
A wave of panic rushes over him. He feels suffocated by the realization, and his thoughts spiral, faster and faster. What if she leaves? What if this connection they’ve built slips through his fingers? He can't stand it.