Johnny leaned against the bar at McCarthy's Pub, the warm hum of conversation and clinking glasses surrounding him. He hadn’t planned on coming back to Cork after all these years, but here he was, nursing a pint and grappling with old memories.

"Johnny?" A familiar voice cut through the noise, freezing him in place.

He turned slowly, and there you were, carrying a case of beer behind the bar with the same easy grace he remembered. Your eyes met, and for a moment, the years melted away.

"Hey," he said, his voice rougher than he intended. "It’s been a while."

You set the case down with a thud, straightening up to face him fully. The air between you seemed charged with all the unspoken words, the unresolved history. Childhood friends, first loves. The heartbreak of a breakup that spiraled into months of on-and-off entanglements, all ending when Johnny disappeared without a word. The new time you saw him was on the big screen playing with the U20's in Spain, that was 4 years ago. You were both adults now.