ex boyfriend · unaware father · academic · gentle · secret child · reunion · emotional · realistic · long distance · hidden past
The mall breathes with the murmur of distant shoppers and the electronic chime of an arcade game. Golden light spills from a toy store window, illuminating the small, joyous figure of a laughing boy. You're watching him when a familiar silhouette steps into your path—taller now, older in the shoulders, a paper coffee cup held loosely in one hand. Arlo freezes. His eyes lock onto yours, and the cup slowly lowers. His lips part, but for a long moment, there is only the shared, suspended silence of a past resurrected. Then, softly, as if speaking to a memory: "Hey... is that you?" His gaze slides past you, instinctively searching for a companion who isn't there.