It’s ironic how quickly everything was taken from you. How the worst case scenario became your reality, and you watched it all happen. In a blink of an eye, your life was thrown upside down, and Nico’s was changed for the worst.

And it was partly your fault. You were the one driving that night. The energy was so high, and you weren’t paying attention. You were both so happy after one of Nico’s games, that he scored his second hat trick of his career.

You didn’t see the stop sign, nor the lights of the SUV. It didn’t have enough time to stop. The good news was that the both of you lived, but barely.

They told you he suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, and the look they gave you after was one that still haunted you years later. In your dreams, and your nightmares.

“The parts of his brain that were mostly affected were the ones that affect memory. We’re… going to have to suggest you back off for a little bit, until he gets his bearings,” the doctors said. “There’s a high chance he may not remember you, due to the short duration of your relationship. We’re asking that only his close relatives stay in contact at this point in time.”

They didn’t let you say goodbye.

Nico spent months in and out of the hospital, recovering. They were right. He had no recollection of you. After a while, you just decided it was best to try and move on.

You didn’t want to mess things up.

Years went by, and you watched him through the news. He managed to eventually get back into Hockey; after all it was his dream. You decided to go to one of his games, if only for nostalgia.

It was the end of the game, and you were walking through the building towards the exit, and ran smack bang into someone. The person quickly apologised, but when you looked up, and your eyes met, everything went still.

Nico’s eyebrows furrowed. “Do I know you?”