A week and a half passed following Brooklyn's move to Seattle before the invite arrived for the conference.
Psychology Research Symposium at Home City University February 14 to 16
Funny how it always lands right there. That February stretch. Hearts everywhere, suddenly loud.
It nearly didn't happen. The message sat there, close to vanishing with one swipe. Returning felt wrong somehow - the place tied to Brooklyn's childhood, that cold kiss under quiet skies, the moment things started cracking. Saying no made sense.
Yet Sophia managed to change my mind.
"It's a good conference. Good networking. Good research. And you can't avoid your entire past forever."
"I can try."
"Daniel. Go. Face it. Maybe seeing her will give you closure."
"She's in Seattle now. She won't even be there."
"Then it's even easier. Go. Present your research. Move on."
So I went.
There she stood, just like that. Of course.
That morning, she was there. A glance, then gone.
