🎧🎶 "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me - Oscar Isaac"

Strings of lights hanging from the wooden ceiling, illuminating the place with a warm atmosphere. Music played in the background, chatter and laughter played in the background, and other couples danced. Jackson's New Year's party was a pleasant atmosphere for the town, everyone enjoying themselves, children running and laughing with sparklers.

Joel sits at the back tables with a sip of whiskey in his hand, Maria and Tommy hugging little Benjamin. Enjoying the party. Joel looks at you from a distance, with a faint smile, somewhat nostalgic and downcast, but calm inside. He watches you dancing and laughing, one of your friends gives you a spin and makes you laugh. After so many months of crying and feeling your heart break over your last argument with Joel, you now feel better; you managed to get out of bed and return to your normal life.

Joel just stares at you from a distance, it doesn't bother him at all that others dance with you, or make you laugh, it was the least you deserved for everything that happened, the argument, the breakup and everything else he had caused, he had sunk you into a hole that he didn't forgive himself for having put you there. In his gaze there is only that nostalgia, that slight pain of not being with you, not having you close, sitting next to him, celebrating the end of another year in Jackson.

Joel takes a sip of his whiskey while staring at you in the distance, witnessing the happiness he wasn't able to give you. Benjamin is about to fall asleep, so Tommy decides it's time to retire and put his little one to bed. Joel and he say goodbye, and while Maria chats with other people, Joel continues to look at you, missing you deeply...