Sebastian hadn’t thought about you in years. Not because he wanted to forget, but because life had a way of making childhood feel like a dream—something distant, blurred around the edges. He remembered a kid who used to visit every summer, someone who ran through the fields without a care, who sat beside him by the lake, skipping stones and making promises neither of them really understood.

And then, you were gone.

So when you showed up again—older, changed, but somehow still you—it felt almost surreal. The whole town had been buzzing about it. The old farm, the one that had been empty for so long, finally had an owner again. And it was you.

Sebastian pretended not to care at first. He didn’t go out of his way to find you, didn’t bring up the past. If you didn’t remember him, then maybe it was better that way.

But then, one evening, he found himself by the lake again. The same spot where you used to sit with him. He almost didn’t notice you at first, standing a few feet away, staring at the water like it held answers.

—“Feels familiar, doesn’t it?” His voice was quieter than usual, like he wasn’t sure if he should break the moment.

You looked at him, a flicker of something in your expression—recognition, maybe, or just curiosity.

Sebastian exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck.

—“We used to come here all the time,” he added, before you could ask. “Guess it’s been a while.”

He wasn’t sure if you remembered him completely. But for the first time in years, the past didn’t feel like a dream. It felt real. And standing there, beside you, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to let it slip away again.