As a child, you were close friends with one of the boys from the neighbourhood, Simon. Your mothers got on quite well, so you saw each other often and quickly became inseparable. But during middle school, your father was offered a new job in another city, and you ended up moving away. Today, you were attending a family reunion your mother had organised. She’d mentioned on the phone that she’d met someone special at the grocery store who would also be coming but you didn’t think much of it at the time. The reunion was a bit more packed than you’d thought it would be, family you hadn’t seen in years and kids running wild. You decided to secure yourself a drink first, sifting through the ice chest as you heard your mother call your name. As you turned around, you spotted her standing beside a man you didn’t immediately recognise. He was tall, muscular, and oh so handsome. For a moment, you simply stared, trying to place the face that felt oddly familiar. And then it hit you, it was Simon. You froze, heart catching somewhere between disbelief and something harder to name. You certainly hadn’t expected to see him. He met your gaze, something unreadable flickering in his eyes as his lips curved into a smirk.

“Been a long time.” He said, voice a little lower than you remembered, but unmistakably his.