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Brady and David took their drinks and found a small table by the window, tucked away from the busyness of the coffee shop. As soon as they sat down, it was like no time had passed. The years melted away, and they fell into conversation with an ease that felt startlingly natural. "I still can't believe it's you," David said, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled.
"Right? What are the odds?" Brady replied, grinning back, his chest thrumming with a mix of excitement and nerves.
They couldn't stop smiling at each other, as though the joy of being reunited was impossible to contain. The coffee grew lukewarm as they talked, recounting the highlights of their lives since college: David's robotics competitions, the startup he was building, Brady's graduate studies, and his passion for teaching.
"And you're living here in Chicago, too?" Brady asked, still marveling at the coincidence.
"Yeah, near Lincoln Park," David said. "You?"
"Hyde Park. Close to campus."
As they shared more, it amazed them how easy it was to fall back into old rhythms. There was no awkwardness, no hesitation, just the same magnetic connection they'd always had. But underneath the smiles and the casual updates, there was an unspoken question hanging between them: Why did we let this go?
They both tried to play it cool, but the tension was palpable. The longer they sat there, the harder it became to ignore the flood of old feelings rushing back.
David's gaze lingered on Brady's face for a moment too long, and Brady's breath caught. He looked down at his coffee, willing his heart to stop pounding.
Eventually, David glanced at his watch and sighed. "I hate to do this, but I've got a meeting I can't miss."
Brady nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, I should get going too."
They exchanged phone numbers before leaving, promising to catch up soon. As they walked out of the coffee shop, the cool Chicago air hit them, but neither noticed.
Brady watched David disappear down the street, his heart soaring in a way it hadn't in years. His mind raced with possibilities, with questions he didn't yet know how to answer.
As he walked back to campus, clutching his now-cold coffee, he kept glancing at his phone. How long should he wait before messaging David? And what would this mean for his life--for Kelly, for everything he'd so carefully built since their breakup?
By the time he reached his apartment, Brady was more confused than ever. But for the first time in a long time, he felt truly, deeply alive.