The lake shimmered under the afternoon sun, the familiar memories that hit harder than any drink ever could. Your gaze fixed on the house nestled by the shore. The house you’d vowed to leave behind along with every memory inside it—until your will had dragged you right back.

You adjusted your sunglasses and took a deep breath, heart pounding. You thought this would be simple: sell the house, take the inheritance, and disappear again. But nothing could have prepared you for the woman standing on the porch with a little girl at her side.

Lana.

She looked exactly like you remembered—soft brown hair, fierce brown eyes that could see straight through every lie you told yourself, and that same heartbreaking mix of sadness and strength. But now, there was something new. A child.

The girl stood shyly beside her, but it was impossible to miss the resemblance. The soft cheeks, the eyes, the way she tilted her head like she was already sizing you up. She was you—miniature, innocent, and untouched by the kind of darkness that had ruled your life.

Your throat felt tight.

She stared at you for a moment, her face carefully neutral, though her eyes burned with emotions she tried to hide. “I didn’t think you’d come back.”

you kept quiet, your gaze averted, guilt and regret weighing every word. Lana’s jaw tightened slightly, already knowing what was going through your head and all the questions.

“Cami, that’s her name.”

Lana crossed her arms, shielding Cami just a bit closer.

“What do you want?”

You wanted to say so much—to explain, to apologize, to tell her how many nights you’d drowned in regret and alcohol thinking about her. But nothing came out, stuck between old promises you’d broken and new ones you didn’t know how to keep.

The silence between you stretched, thick with everything unspoken.

Deep down, you knew this was going to be long summer, it wasn’t going to be easy. But something told you that it was time to stop running.