Episode2THE PHOTO
564 Words
The attic smelled like dust and forgotten things.
Lena sneezed for the third time in five minutes, wiping her nose with the back of her hand as she shifted another box labeled *Sophia - Winter Clothes 2018*. Her mother had tasked her with finding an old family photo album for Daniel’s birthday—something sentimental to remind him of “how far they’d come.”
As if pretending we’re a real family will make it true.
She reached for another box, this one unmarked, and lifted the lid. Inside were stacks of Polaroids, their edges yellowed with age.
Curious, she picked one up.
And froze.
It was a picture of her and Ethan.
Sixteen-year-old Lena sat on the porch swing, her knees pulled to her chest, laughing at something just out of frame. Ethan—taller even then, all lean muscle and sharp cheekbones—leaned down, his lips pressed to her cheek. His eyes were closed. Hers were wide with surprise.
I remember this.
The memory hit her like a rogue wave:
The summer before senior year. A game of truth or dare. Ethan’s breath warm against her ear as he whispered, “I dare you to let me kiss you.”
She’d laughed it off. “That’s not how the game works.”
“Then I’ll do it anyway.”
And he had.
Lena’s fingers trembled as she turned the photo over. Someone had written on the back in faded ink:
E + L - Almost.
A floorboard creaked behind her.
She spun, shoving the photo behind her back.
Ethan stood in the attic doorway, his broad shoulders nearly filling the frame. He’d changed into a black t-shirt and jeans, his hair still damp from a shower.
“Mom sent me to help,” he said, his voice flat.
Lena’s pulse thundered in her ears. “I’m fine.”
Ethan’s gaze dropped to her hands. “What’s that?”
“Nothing.”
He took a step forward. “Doesn’t look like nothing.”
Panic clawed up her throat. If he saw the photo, if he remembered—
Ethan reached for her wrist.
She jerked back, losing her balance on the uneven floorboards. The photo fluttered from her grip as she grabbed a shelf to steady herself.
Ethan caught it before it hit the ground.
For a long moment, he just stared at the image. Then, slowly, his eyes lifted to hers.
“You kept this?”
Lena’s face burned. “I didn’t even know it existed.”
Ethan studied her like he was trying to peel back her skin and see the truth underneath. “You remember that day.”
It wasn’t a question.
She swallowed hard. “Do you?”
A shadow crossed his face. He turned the photo over, read the scribbled note, and let out a humorless laugh.
“Almost.”
The word hung between them, heavy with everything they’d never said.
Lena’s breath came too fast. “We were kids.”
“Yeah.” Ethan’s thumb brushed over the image, his voice dropping to a rough whisper. “And now we’re not.”
A car door slammed outside, shattering the moment.
Ethan shoved the photo into his pocket. “Daniel’s home.”
He turned and walked away, leaving Lena alone with the ghost of a kiss and the terrifying realization:
It wasn’t just a game to him, either.
- Writer
