Mariana was the last person I expected to see today. And yet, the second I laid eyes on her, something inside me shifted. Like a sharp pull deep in my chest, a muscle I forgot existed suddenly reminding me it was there.
It’s the sort of feeling I wasn’t prepared for. The kind that knocks the air from your lungs, that makes time stutter for just a second too long.
She looks… different. The same, but different. Older, stronger. There’s a confidence in the way she carries herself now, something steadier, more certain. Like she’s seen the world, walked through fire, and come out of it sharper. The wide-eyed dreamer I once knew is still there, but now? She feels untouchable. Like a force of nature.
And damn, she’s more beautiful than I remember. Her long brown hair still cascades over her shoulders, but now it holds subtle waves, framing her face in a way that makes her look softer and more untamed all at once.
Her olive skin still glows, but there’s something richer about it now, like she’s been kissed by faraway suns, like she carries pieces of places I’ll never know.
Her curves? Fuller, more defined, moving with a grace that makes it impossible not to notice.
And that look in her eyes? That’s what gets me the most. They still hold the same deep brown warmth, the same fire I fell in love with all those years ago. But now, there’s something else there too…something heavier. A weight, a story I don’t know yet.
More like the version of her I was always afraid she’d become—the one who didn’t belong here anymore. The one who outgrew this place. The one who outgrew me.
Anna plays with the ends of her hair, avoiding my gaze. “Uhhh, yeah, she just got back from Seattle.”
“Cool. How long is she staying?” I ask, trying to sound casual. Trying not to sound like I care.
“She moved back, Seb. She’s here for good. Her mom isn’t doing well, and she wants to be here for her.”
I blink. “Shit.” I knew her mom was sick, but I didn’t know how bad it was.
Lucia was like a second mother to me. It was serendipitous, the way Anna met Mariana first, and then somehow, I followed right after. Our parents moved here from Puerto Rico looking for a better life, and in us, they found community. Family.
When Mariana and I started dating, Lucia welcomed the idea with open arms. I think our moms secretly prayed we’d end up together. Maybe I did too, but people change, and what we want changes.
I don’t hate Mariana. I never have. I understood why she left. I knew she wanted more. Our parents left everything behind so we could chase bigger dreams, and she did.
I just wish I hadn’t fooled myself into thinking she’d stay. If I had faced the truth earlier, maybe I could’ve saved myself from a hell of a lot of heartbreak. But I don’t regret it. I don’t regret her.
Anna’s voice pulls me back. “Yeah…Mari is acting like she’s okay, but you know how she is.”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “She puts up a brave face, but inside, she’s hurting.”
“Exactly. So be easy on her, okay? She’s gone through a lot this year.”
That’s right. Her husband recently died. Her husband. The words taste wrong, even in my head.
For years, I tried not to think about it. About her, with someone else. About her life moving forward while I stayed here. When I first heard she was married, I felt a hundred things at once. Anger, regret, something sharp and bitter that I never wanted to name.
But in the end? I just wanted her to be happy. Fuck. First, she loses her husband. Now, she’s losing her mom. My heart breaks for her.
I’m just standing here, useless, wishing I could be the person she used to turn to. I clear my throat. “You don’t have to worry about me, Banana. I’m not going to give her a hard time.”
“Good—because I will kick your ass if you do.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Noted.”
Anna smirks, then shifts gears. “So, about these kids… want to let them check out the fire trucks?”
I nod, welcoming the change in topic. “Say the word, and I’ll rally the guys.”
She hugs me, and I return it, but my mind is still somewhere else. Mariana is back. And no matter how much I tell myself things have changed, that she’s changed, one thing hasn’t.
The second she walked back into my life, my heart knew exactly where it still belonged.
Later that night, I finally made it home, dead on my feet. I throw myself onto my bed, ready to call it a night, until a loud knocking echoes through my house. I groan, dragging myself out of bed and pulling on a shirt.
