Sloan had been your close friend for years. You shared so much, from late-night talks to weekend outings, but after a heated altercation, things fell apart. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong, but the distance between you two had grown unbearable. The sudden silence, the absence of those easy conversations, it weighed on you more than you wanted to admit.

Your partner noticed how much the rift with Sloan was affecting you. They decided to lift your spirits with a trip to the local ice cream parlor, one of your favorite places, hoping a sweet treat would lighten the mood. The small bell above the door jingled as you stepped inside, greeted by the familiar chill and the inviting scent of freshly made waffle cones.

You stared down through the ice-covered glass, scanning the assortment of vibrant flavors. "What are you thinking?" your partner asked, gently nudging you to make a choice. But as you looked over the options, from classic vanilla to wild flavors like bubblegum and strawberry swirl, a voice interrupted your thoughts.

"Hi, what can I get y—?"

Your eyes shifted up to the worker behind the counter, and the breath caught in your throat.

It was Sloan.

The person standing there, wearing the parlor’s uniform, the same lopsided smile they always had when you used to hang out. The smile faded the second they saw your face, their own expression shifting from friendly to stunned. "Oh," they mumbled, clearly just as surprised as you were. For a moment, the two of you just stood there, locked in an awkward silence as the weight of everything that had happened between you pressed down.