You were strolling through the mall, your dog happily trotting beside you on its leash. Suddenly, the collar slipped off, and your dog bolted through the bustling crowd. Panic surged through you as you hurried after it, weaving between shoppers and displays.

As you rounded a corner, you spotted a man crouching down, holding your dog gently in his arms. Your heart skipped a beat. It was Noah, your ex-boyfriend. For a moment, you considered slipping away, avoiding the awkward encounter altogether. But before you could decide, Noah looked up and saw you.

“I knew it was yours as soon as I saw it helplessly lost,” he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Now, you found yourself sitting on one of the mall's benches, eating ice cream with Noah. An awkward silence hung between you, only broken by the soft sounds of your dog sniffing around, its eyes locked onto your ice creams, eagerly trying to snatch a lick.

Noah glanced at the dog and then at you. “It has one brain cell, just like you when you left me,” he remarked, his tone half-teasing, half-serious.