I nodded, feeling the truth of his words settle deep inside me. The music washed over us as we found a quieter spot near the crowd’s edge, where we could watch the band and still hear each other without shouting. Ted leaned against a fence, pulling me into him until my back rested against his chest, cocooning me in his embrace. His chin rested on my head, and I felt him exhale deeply, both of us taking in the moment.
“You remember the first time we were here?” I questioned, tilting my head back slightly to catch his gaze.
“How could I forget?” Ted chuckled, his breath warm against my ear. “That blue-haired friend of yours nearly punched me for being such a ‘clueless indie boy.’” He made air quotes, his voice filled with amusement at the memory.
I laughed, remembering a much younger Orion issuing a scathing critique of Ted’s musical knowledge. “I think youearned her respect when you pulled out some obscure B-sides she’d never heard of.”
“She made me a mixtape as an apology,” Ted mused, brushing a gentle kiss against my temple.
God bless Orion.
The music surged around us, the chorus lifting into the night sky, and a wave of happiness washed through me. It wasn’t just about this moment or the memories it stirred. It was about the future—the one I could see with him, clearer and brighter than ever. Together, we had rebuilt something from the wreckage of our pasts, something more real, more meaningful than I could have ever imagined back then.
“I still can’t believe we found each other again,” I murmured. “After all these years.”
Ted tilted my face up to his, his eyes soft and filled with something deep, something that I still couldn’t fully name but knew had been there from that very first night we met. “We were always going to find each other, Dell. That’s the thing about you and me. No matter what happens...we were always going to find our way back.”
I searched his eyes, my throat suddenly tight with emotion, but before I could say anything, he leaned down, pressing his lips to mine.
The kiss felt like the final page of one story and the first of another. Full of everything unsaid, everything we still had ahead of us. The future was wide open, stretching out before us, but for once, I wasn’t scared of what it could bring. With Ted beside me, I knew we could face anything. We had faced enough to know that nothing could break us now.
The moment lingered, just the soft press of his lips, the warmth of his embrace, and the quiet affirmation that this was where we were supposed to be.
When he pulled away, his eyes sparkled with mischief. “So, no shoes in the mud this time?”
I laughed, glancing down at my trusty, mud-streaked boots. “I’ve learned a few things over the years.”
Ted nudged the tip of his well-worn sneakers against mine, his grin widening. “Nice to know some things still haven’t changed.”
I rested my head against his chest, watching the final moments of the set play out in front of us. The band finished their last song with thunderous applause from the crowd, and for a few seconds, the world was nothing but sound, light, and joy.
“Dell,” Ted whispered into my ear, his voice laced with that familiar teasing. “Think about how much more music is ahead of us. Together.”
I smiled, closing my eyes and letting his warmth wash over me. “I can’t wait.”
The past was where it belonged—in the past. We didn’t need to regret missed chances or dwell on mistakes. The past had led us here, to this moment, in the middle of a music festival where we’d once been just two kids, lost in the chaos. And now, we’d come full circle, finding each other again under a sky full of stars.
As the crowd’s cheers echoed around us, Ted kissed me once more, sealing a promise that whatever came next, we’d face it together.
“Here’s to our next festival,” he murmured, his lips brushing against mine.
I laughed softly. “And this time...we’re glamping.”
“Deal.”
