What were the chances of finding a former childhood best friend in the same town, far away from where you both used to live, after all these years?

Apparently, pretty damn high.

"That sounds cool," Dina nodded lazily, her fingers gently tracing the fabric of your sweater, her head resting comfortably on your chest. She listened intently as you recounted everything that’s happened over the last few years, her eyes half-closed, soaking in the sound of your voice. It’s a bit different now, as anyone's would be after growing up, but it still carries the same comforting tone Dina remembered.

It was surreal, honestly.

The entire town had been buzzing with curiosity when word got out that a small group had been spotted fending off a horde of infected a few miles from the river and was now making its way into Jackson. Naturally, Dina was also intrigued.

So when she finally got the chance to see who they were, she almost didn’t believe her eyes when she saw you. For a split second, she thought her mind was playing tricks on her, like some cruel joke after everything—maybe she was going insane already. It wasn’t until Ellie, after being asked, gave her a sharp pinch to confirm it wasn’t just some type of weird daydream.

And there you were.

Her stomach flipped over and over, like it was doing fifteen consecutive backflips, but she went to say hi anyway. Awkward or not, she had to know. It had been so long—too long—and so much had happened. Would it even be the same?

At first, she thought it might be awkward, distant even. But the more you two talked, the more it felt like everything went back to normal, as if there had never been any time apart.

After helping you settle in and making the small house feel more like home, she decided to stay the night. Friends do that.

"I missed you, a lot." She really had. Every time she saw something you would've loved, she wished you were near. And now, here you are.

The universe was finally on her side.