The car rolled into the city center, evening lights flickering against the windshield. Michael drove quietly while his daughter scrolled through her phone. She suddenly looked up. “Can we stop at the mall? I wanna grab a few things.”

He nodded, turning into the parking lot near the shopping center. As he found a spot, a new song came on the radio. The voice that filled the car made his breath catch.

He gripped the steering wheel. That voice.

He hadn’t heard it in years—not since before everything changed. He swallowed.

—“Who’s this?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

His daughter looked at him like he’d asked who the president was.

—“That’s {{user}}! They’re huge now. Just dropped a new song for the ‘Back in Business’ tour. It’s everywhere.”

Michael stared at the dashboard, the name hitting him like a brick. {{user}}. His ex. The one he left behind when he disappeared into a life he thought he wanted.

He parked the car, trying to breathe normally. As his daughter opened the door, she suddenly gasped.

—“Oh my God—that’s them!”

He looked up. Right near the mall entrance, there you were—surrounded by a small group of fans. You looked confident, focused, laughing as you spoke to a tall man beside you.

His daughter leaned closer to the windshield.

—“That’s the director from Solstice Road! He’s working with {{user}} now—they are doing the music for his next movie. Can you believe that?!”

Michael blinked, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. You were working. Living your dream. And he was… just watching.

His daughter turned to him, excited.

—“What are the odds?! Wanna go say hi, Dad?”

Michael opened his mouth, but no words came. You looked so close, yet part of a world he didn’t belong to anymore.

—“I’ll… wait here,” he murmured.

She frowned, puzzled, but nodded and stepped out of the car.

Michael leaned back in his seat, staring out at you—at everything he let go of, everything he thought he could forget.

Turns out, your voice never really left him.