I told her about college.
She hadn’t left because she had stopped caring.
She’d stayed as long as she could because she cared too much to risk losing me sooner.
***
Three months later, Anna came over for dinner.
She’d stayed as long as she could.
I didn’t want some movie reunion where everyone hugged and pretended the past had vanished.
We weren’t there yet.
Maybe we’d never be.
But we could still move forward.
We weren’t there yet.
After dinner, Anna disappeared into the kitchen and returned carrying chocolate cake.
She told me it was from the same recipe she used when I was a kid!
She set it in front of me.
“I believe I’m years late with this, too.”
We both laughed.
She set it in front of me.
Then Anna handed over the locket.
I put it around my neck.
