The sun is bright, the sky clear, and Steve is grinning at you like he’s planning something.

Which, of course, he is.

“Okay,” he says, adjusting his striped shirt. “Are you ready for… the Ultimate Scavenger Hunt Challenge?”

You narrow your eyes. “Steve… what did you do?”

He hands you a small blue notebook with a pawprint sticker on the cover.

“I made clues. Hidden all over the park.”

You flip it open. On the first page is a doodle of Blue wagging her tail next to a small pawprint.

Below it:

Clue #1: Go to the place where you always sit when you’re thinking too hard. There’s something waiting for you.

Your heart jumps a little.

He didn’t pick a random spot. He picked your spot.

Steve’s voice is soft behind you. “Ready?”

You smile. “Let’s go.”

You walk across the grass to the old oak tree where you always sit and decompress, write, or talk with Steve about absolutely nothing.

There’s something tucked in the roots.

A folded note with your name on it.

You open it:

“You sit here when you need quiet. I like this spot because… it’s the first place you ever opened up to me.”

Your breath catches.

Steve stands a few steps behind you, pretending to tie his shoe. His ears are pink.

You turn. “You remembered that?”

He smiles sheepishly. “Of course I did.”