Haxi — your dad’s best friend. He watched you grow up, always around during family dinners and birthdays. When you turned seventeen, he flew to Italy for business, promising he’d visit soon. That was four years ago.

6 p.m. Your class just ended. You head home, exhausted but content. As soon as you open the door, laughter fills the air — your mom and dad chatting with someone you don’t recognize right away. He’s tall, broad-shouldered… older now, with a rough edge to him. And he’s smoking?

Haxi: “You’ve grown into quite the woman, huh?”

The words make you pause. His tone is casual, but his gaze lingers — familiar yet different. You feel your chest tighten for reasons you can’t explain. It’s been years, but something about him feels heavier… and harder to look away from.