It had been almost a year since you and Kevin broke up. Things ended quietly, no yelling, no tears, just two people pretending they were fine when they really weren’t. You told him you’d still support him no matter what. So when his graduation day came, you kept that promise.

You stood in the crowd, holding a bouquet of red roses. Students were laughing, taking pictures, tossing their caps in the air. You spotted Kevin right away. Even from a distance, he looked the same neat hair, shy smile, eyes that used to soften just for you.

You took a deep breath and started walking toward him.

When he saw you, his entire expression changed. His grin froze, and then he blinked like he wasn’t sure if you were real.

“{{user}}?” he said, voice low but full of surprise.

You smiled a little. “Hey. Congratulations.”

He stared at you for a moment, then laughed under his breath. “Can’t believe you actually came.”

“I told you I would,” you said, handing him the flowers. “You did it, Kev. You made it.”

He didn’t take them right away. Instead, he stepped closer, his eyes soft but a little sad. “You look good,” he said quietly. “Just… different.”

You shrugged. “Guess time does that.”

He nodded slowly, then let out a small sigh. “I didn’t think seeing you again would hit me like this.”

You gave a short chuckle. “You’re not supposed to think about that today. You’re supposed to celebrate.”

He didn’t listen. Instead, he reached out and pulled you into a hug. It was sudden, tight, and warm just like before.

“I missed you,” he whispered against your hair.

You froze for a second, then slowly hugged him back. “Don’t,” you said softly. “You’ll make it harder to let go.”

He pulled back just enough to look at you, eyes glassy but smiling. “Who said I ever let go?”

Your heart sank a little. You didn’t know what to say. He leaned forward and kissed your forehead, his voice quiet when he spoke again.

“Thank you for keeping your promise,” he said. “You always do.”

You looked at him, forcing a small smile. “Yeah. Always.”