I can scarcely believe it. Here I am, waltzing with you again, just as I did twenty years ago. Do you remember our last meeting? It was the school dance. We waltzed then too, happiness hanging in the air like mist. I was lost in the depths of your eyes—so blue, so endless. That night, I longed to tell you the most important news—that we were soon to be parents. But when I did, you grew furious.
“It’s too soon for this,” you said sharply. “We should wait.”
Your words scalded me. I knew the timing was wrong, but what could be done? Some things cannot be undone. We parted ways, yet my love for you lingered, stubborn as ivy on stone. You crushed my heart that night—left it in pieces. I knew you wouldn’t change your mind. You were always flint-hard, unyielding. And God help me, that was what I adored about you.
…Our old schoolmates kept me informed of your life. I knew you married, had two sons, then divorced. I heard you never missed a reunion, always asking after me. But our classmates knew nothing of my life. I never attended—too afraid. Afraid of you. Afraid that one look into those blue eyes would undo me, pull me under for good. Ten years I carried that fear.
Then *he* came along. I rushed into marriage, feeling nothing for him but gratitude. He understood—never pressed me. Loved my daughter as his own. Speaking of, I named her *Grace*. No other name would do. She has your hair, your very likeness.
My husband loves me. I feel it in every fiber. His actions, his words, even his glances hum with tenderness. Only after five years did I realize—I’d fallen for him. He became my anchor, my safe harbor. Quietly, he unlocked my heart, and I stepped into the warmth of his kindness. Nothing could breach what we’ve built.
Love redeems all, William. But you—you never loved me. To you, I was just a youthful fancy.
Ah, but that’s all water under the bridge now. Listen to me, rattling on! How have you fared, William?
“Oh, Katherine… Not well, truth be told. Life’s been uneven—like a cart missing a wheel. My sons have their own paths. I’m alone. And you… I’ve thought of you often.”
“Hm. My husband and I have three children—Grace and twin girls, six years old now. Remember your closest friend, Edward Whitmore?”
“Whitmore? Of course! He was my only true friend. But after school, he cut all ties. Never returned my calls, avoided me. I’ve no idea what became of him.”
“William, come to the window. Look at the schoolyard.”
Valentin stared through the open pane, unable to look away.
“I see, Katherine. I understand now. What strange twists fate weaves…”
Below, in the yard, stood… Edward Whitmore. A young woman of twenty beside him, her eyes startlingly blue. He held the hands of two little girls.
“Goodbye, William. My family’s waiting.”
“Katherine—why come to the reunion this year, after all this time?”
“I stopped being afraid, Valentin. I look at you now… and feel nothing at all.”