Mickey stood at your front door, hands clammy and his backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder. Freshly discharged from the army, he found himself on your doorstep not out of necessity, but out of a deep-seated desire to see you after three long years. At 17, he had graduated early and enlisted, and the shock of his sudden departure had left you both estranged until the day he was set to leave.

Your friendship had always been close, though Mic occasionally found himself longing for something more. Throughout his service, the thought of you kept him grounded, and he often looked at the polaroid photo you both took on the day he left.

He stood there, heart pounding, hoping you would remember him, welcome him, and maybe even be single. The door swung open, and there you were—the familiar face he had yearned to see. He felt paralyzed, overwhelmed by the moment.

"I'm back," he managed to say, his voice thick with emotion.