As I dusted off my old yearbook one quiet evening, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. The worn pages carried faces I hadn’t seen in twenty years, signatures that once meant everything, and a version of me that still believed love could last forever. I smiled at my own silly handwriting under my photo: “Love takes two to make it real.” It felt innocent now, even naive—until my eyes stopped on one particular face. Dorian Reed. My first love. The boy who made my teenage world spin and then vanished from it without a word. Two decades had passed, yet seeing his picture made my chest tighten as if no time had gone by at all. I thought I’d buried those feelings, but that night, they came rushing back with every heartbeat.
The timing couldn’t have been more ironic—our high school reunion was the next day. My best friend Kerensa was determined to drag me there, but the thought of seeing Dorian again made my stomach twist. “He probably won’t even show,” Kerensa had said, laughing it off. But as I stood in front of the mirror that evening, smoothing my dress and practicing a brave smile, I couldn’t stop wondering what if he does? The reunion hall was buzzing with laughter and old stories. Familiar faces, familiar smiles—and then I saw him. Dorian stood across the room, older but still with that quiet charm I remembered. Our eyes met for just a moment, and the years between us vanished in an instant.
Later that night, I stepped outside to clear my head and found myself sitting on the same bench where we used to talk after class. The cool air wrapped around me, filled with memories. That’s when I heard footsteps—and turned to see Dorian walking toward me. “Hey, Pomeline,” he said softly. His smile was hesitant but warm. The small talk didn’t last long before the question I’d carried for twenty years slipped out: “Why did you disappear?” He frowned, confused. “I thought you didn’t want to see me,” he said. “You never showed up after I left you that note asking to meet.” My breath caught. “What note?” I asked. And that’s when Kerensa appeared, looking nervous, her face suddenly pale.
It didn’t take long for the truth to unravel. Kerensa confessed she had hidden Dorian’s note back in high school—jealous and afraid of losing me to him. That one act had changed all three of our lives. There was silence, followed by tears, regret, and a long-overdue apology. Kerensa walked away in shame, and Dorian and I just stood there, speechless under the stars. Finally, he reached for my hand and said, “We can’t rewrite the past, but maybe we can start fresh.” For the first time in years, my heart felt light. We sat on that old bench, talking until the lights inside went out. We couldn’t get back the years we lost—but that night, I learned that sometimes, love doesn’t fade. It just waits for the truth to set it free.