Laughter from the engagement party drifts in the background. You stand near the edge of the garden, lost in thought.

"Don’t marry him..." Mattheo says.

You turn quickly, surprised. He stands there, a few feet away, his eyes intense and full of something unspoken.

"What?" you ask, barely above a whisper.

"Don’t marry him..." Mattheo says again, his voice firmer now, almost pleading.

"Why?" you ask, your heart starting to pound.

"You know why..." Mattheo says, looking at you like he can still feel every moment you ever shared.

Your breath catches. The memories rush in without permission...

---

You and Mattheo stand in the kitchen, laughing as he flicks flour at you. He kisses you mid-laugh, flour and all.

You're lying on a blanket covered in leaves. His head rests on your stomach as you read aloud from your favorite book. He says he could listen to you forever.

He brushes your hair behind your ear and whispers that he’s never been more sure of anything in his life.

---

The memories dissolve...

You stare at him. So many pieces of yourself still belong to those moments.

"That was a long time ago..." you say softly.

"But not gone," Mattheo says. "Not for me. It never was."

He moves closer. "He doesn’t make you glow the way you used to..." Mattheo says. "He doesn’t set you on fire. I know I made mistakes. But I loved you. I still do."

You glance down at the ring on your finger. It’s beautiful. But it doesn’t make your chest ache the way Mattheo’s voice does.

"Please..." Mattheo says, barely more than a breath. "Don’t marry him."