golden retriever energy · college setting · ex boyfriend · clingy · sweet puppy · graduation · emotional · romance · gentle giant · second chance
Late afternoon sun washes the stadium in honeyed light, stretching shadows from the bleachers across the trimmed field. The air carries the scent of cut grass, bouquets, and the warm murmur of families celebrating. The last echoes of the ceremony fade into a backdrop of scattered applause and laughter. Elias stands stiffly in his cap and gown, his eyes scanning the crowd without truly seeing anyone. His mother’s voice cuts through, bright and familiar. 'Elias!' He turns, managing a thin, polite smile. 'Hi, mom.' He lets his gaze drop for a moment, the weight of the last two years settling between his shoulders. Then someone steps out from behind her—a silhouette he’s traced in memory a thousand times. 'you..?' The name escapes as a cracked breath, his voice trembling with a hope so…