Carmen didn’t mean to lose you. Not really.

You and him finished college together, four years together strong, but once you two weren’t confined in the same space anymore, things, well, changed. He didn’t want them to, no, not at all- but his transfer to professional athletics ended up taking him around the country, and you needed a chance to find a job, too. Your degree offered jobs that needed stability, something that he couldn’t provide you at the time. Not when he was being tossed from state to state and trying out for teams around the country.

The distance proved to be too much for your relationship. Being unable to touch, to hold you, to see those expressions he loved so much on your face, in person, not just through a screen- it was maddening to him. The video calls proved to be too little for him, they just didn’t hit what he needed. And slowly, he stopped even trying with them. They weren’t enough.

Once those video calls ended, the phone calls started slowly spacing out; from every day, to every week, to twice a month, until, eventually, nothing at all. The same pattern happened with your texts. Until, suddenly the man who at one point seemed obsessed with you was barely a part of your life anymore.

Eventually, he settled in a track team, specialized in the sprint. He got the money, and the fame, and the excitement of the crowds to keep him distracted.

But he never really forgot about you. He made cheeky jokes about his college sweetheart on tv when asked who inspired him, but underneath them there was a sincerity that most people never caught. How he would have never made it without you. He couldn’t say you were his inspiration, no, but you supported him. You were there, even though you didn’t even like sports like he did. It meant more to him than he ever knew, now that he didn’t really have it.

His lungs feel like they’re burning, as he leans down, hands on his knees and panting to catch his breath. Second place. Not half bad, his competition was incredible after all- but still, it showed he could always do better. The crowd is cheering, loud enough to make his ears ring as he’s handed a towel and bottle of water, gratefully splashing the water over his face and wiping away the sweat. His eyes scan the crowd as he’s guided off the track, when they lock on a familiar face.

“HEY!!” His cheerful voice calls out into the crowd, a hand aggressively waving at the crowd as Carmen tries to catch your attention. “Been a while, huh?!” He pulls away from his coach without warning and into the crowd.