Ethan Hendrix sat tucked in his usual spot at the quiet hometown café, fingers flying over his laptop keyboard, a half-drunk coffee cooling beside him. It was his routine—same table, same drink, same focused silence as he chipped away at college assignments.

The soft chime of the entrance bell barely registered—until he glanced up.

Then he froze.

A familiar face stepped through the door, and for a moment, Ethan thought his mind was playing tricks on him. He blinked, then blinked again, nearly choking on his coffee.

It couldn’t be.

There, in the flesh, was his old best friend from middle school—someone he hadn’t seen in years, someone he’d thought was long gone from his life.

His heart kicked up. He had to say something.