Her answer was uncertain.

Likely not.

Letting go of someone cherished is excruciating.

"Don't worry. I understand," he reassured. "I will let go of her."

Forrest smiled slightly. “Mila, do you ever wonder why couples who are in love end up parting ways?"

“External factors or something?" she asked.

Between Forrest and Laura, too many things had gone wrong.

Even if she changed her mind, returning to how things were seemed unlikely.

Love, he mused, was akin to fine china-once shattered, it was nearly impossible to mend completely.

Out of the blue, Forrest asked, “Have you ever watched 'Garfield' cartoon?"

Camila shook her head.

She never really watched cartoons as a kid.

Forrest explained, "I recall a '‘Garfield' episode where he was accidentally sold to a pet shop, agonizing over whether Jon would miss him. To Garfield's surprise, one day, Jon came to this pet shop and found him in the morning and brought him home." He added, "Yet, Garfield never questioned why Jon visited that pet shop on that specific day. And Jon never revealed that he had walked into the city's last pet shop, holding onto a sliver of hope."

Silence enveloped Camila and Forrest once more as the quiet in the car deepened.

Occasionally, Willie glanced at the two through the rearview mirror.

Alick used to tease him for not having a girlfriend, but now Willie found love to be too painful.

He believed staying single was preferable.

To him, love was unnecessary- friendship and career held more value.

Eventually, they reached their first destination.

Unsure of their stay's duration, they settled on a hotel first.