As I sat flipping through my old school pictures, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of old memories hit me. It had been 20 years since…

As I sat flipping through my old school pictures, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of old memories hit me. It had been 20 years since I graduated, but staring at the photos made it seem like just yesterday.

There I was—young Pomeline Hale, with that goofy, wide-eyed grin stuck on my face, and under my yearbook shot, a sappy line I once thought was so deep:

“Love takes two to make it real.”

I chuckled at how clueless I had been back then, but the laugh faded fast as my eyes landed on his picture. Dorian Reed. My high school crush.

The guy who had grabbed my heart for years. I had been crazy about Dorian back then—slipping little notes into his locker, fumbling through flirty talks in my clumsy teen way, and even sneaking valentines into his bag when I thought no one saw. I was dead sure we’d end up together, that he was the one.

I pictured our life so clear, even down to our wedding day. But here I was, 38 years old, still flying solo, and still wondering what had gone wrong. Why had Dorian just cut me off like that right before graduation?

He had ghosted me without a word, leaving me lost and crushed. I hadn’t said a peep to him since, but the ache of it still stuck with me, fresh as ever after all this time. Just as I started sinking deeper into the what-ifs, the doorbell buzzed, yanking me back to now.

I set the photo album down and went to open the door. My best pal Kerensa stood there, her usual big smile lighting up her face. “Set for the class get-together, girl?” she asked, her buzz catching right away.

I paused, leaning against the doorframe. “Honest, Kerensa, I’m not sure I wanna go.”

She raised a brow, clearly thrown. “Why not?

What’s up?”

I let out a long breath. “I was just digging through old snaps, and it dragged up a bunch of stuff. You know, about Dorian.”

Kerensa rolled her eyes big time, crossing her arms.

“Dorian Reed? You’re still stuck on that after 20 years?”

“I know it sounds silly,” I admitted, feeling my cheeks heat up. “But it still hurts.

We were so close, and then he just dropped off like I meant nothing.”

Kerensa stepped in closer, putting a warm hand on my shoulder. “Look, he might not even show tonight. And if he does, don’t let it wreck your fun.

This bash is for linking up with old buddies and cutting loose, not digging up old hurts.”

I forced a grin, trying to shove the doubts aside. “You’re right. But if he’s there… I’ll make sure he sees what he let slip.”

Kerensa grinned wide.

“That’s my girl.”

I was on edge the whole drive to the reunion. My fingers drummed my knee, and I kept peeking out the window, caught in a storm of feelings. What if Dorian turned up?

What if he skipped? Part of me wasn’t sure which would hurt more. My heart sat heavy in my throat, and the closer we got, the harder it was to catch my breath.

As we pulled up to the spot, I checked my look in the rearview one last time, fixing my hair and smoothing my dress. I couldn’t shake the jitters that clung to me tight. “Pomeline, you look great.