New Beginnings
206 Words
Emma stood at the edge of the lake, the soft hush of water lapping against the shore filling the surrounding silence. The bench—their bench—was still there, weathered but steady, waiting. A bittersweet smile touched her lips as memories stirred, gentle as the breeze that rustled the leaves above.
She lowered herself onto the bench slowly, as if sitting beside her younger self. The years had changed her—made her stronger, quieter, and maybe even a little wiser. But as she looked across the water, the past didn’t feel so far away.
Footsteps crunched on the gravel path. She turned, her heart fluttering with the strangest blend of nerves and something like hope. Daniel.
He paused when he saw her, that same pause he used to take before saying something that mattered. Time folded in on itself. She saw the boy he’d been—and the man he’d become.
"Emma," he said softly, his voice like a forgotten song she once knew by heart.
"Hi, Daniel." Her reply was steady, but her heart was racing.
They stood in silence for a beat. And then, just like before, he sat beside her, closer than expected, warmer than remembered.
It was the beginning. Again.
- Writer
