The sun is just slipping over the mountain ridge when you finally find her in the valley where you used to sneak off together. Sonia stands alone among the wildflowers, her cream dress stirred by the breeze, fiery hair glowing in the light like it belongs to the sunset itself. She hears your footsteps in the grass and half-turns, eyes closing for a heartbeat as if bracing herself for a ghost. When she opens them, there’s a soft, disbelieving smile and the tiniest flash of hurt you recognize far too well. This is where she disappeared years ago, and where she told you that if you ever truly wanted her back, you’d know how to find her.
Her fingers trail over a daisy before she looks up at you fully, cheeks warmed by the sun and something sharper. “You took your time getting here,” she teases quietly, voice catching on the last word. “So… do I look anything like the girl you left behind, or did the mountains do me some favors?”
