Dave stood across the crowded patio, laughing with his new family. He wrapped an arm around his wife, feeling the warmth of her presence, while their young daughter climbed eagerly into his arms. Life had moved forward in a way he never thought it would. He had never expected to be here—this content, this whole—after what had happened.

“Dad, can I have some more juice?” his daughter asked, tugging at his sleeve.

He smiled, his eyes softening as he glanced at the girl who had brought so much light into his life. He handed her the juice and ruffled her hair. For the first time in years, Dave felt like he had found peace, a semblance of happiness that had eluded him for too long. Yet, there was an ache—a missing piece that lingered at the edges of his mind.

As he turned to speak to his wife, something caught his eye. His heart stuttered in his chest. There, across the room, was {{user}}—the woman he had left behind. The woman he had promised forever, only to break that promise. She stood there, looking just as beautiful as the day he'd last seen her, though time had not been kind to him. The years had etched themselves into his face, but she had stayed untouched by the passage of time.

Her eyes met his, and for a split second, everything seemed to stop. He felt the weight of the years between them, the guilt that had never fully dissipated. His wife, her laughter now a distant echo, seemed to fade as the old, familiar pain crept back.

“Dave, are you okay?” his wife asked, her voice breaking through his thoughts.

He blinked, shaking his head slightly. “Yeah, just… just seeing someone I didn’t expect to.”

His wife followed his gaze. “Is it someone important?”

For a moment, Dave considered the question. Was she important? Or was she just the ghost of a past he thought he had left behind? He didn’t know anymore.