Coming home felt different this time.
It wasn't like returning from a visit or taking a break from university. It felt as though I was finally stepping into the life we had all been building toward for years.
The familiar streets seemed brighter. The old oak tree appeared taller than I remembered, and the foundation building felt warmer, almost as if it had been waiting for us to return.
Everything was familiar, yet everything had changed.
Perhaps because I had changed, too.
Victor was waiting for me at the station.
He stood near the old wooden bench, his hands tucked into his pockets and that quiet, steady smile on his face. The same smile that had welcomed me home so many times before.
I walked toward him, and he opened his arms.
"Welcome home," he said.
I settled into his embra
