The cafe bell chimed, and Leo turned, a smile already forming on his face. Then he saw her. Amelia. Across the room, she was laughing at something her companion had said, the sunlight catching the highlights in her hair. It had been twenty years. Twenty years since scraped knees, whispered secrets under starry skies, and the promise to always be friends. He walked towards her, a small, hopeful warmth blossoming in his chest.
He paused beside her table. "Amelia? It’s... it’s Leo." Her smile faltered, replaced by a polite, quizzical look. "I'm so sorry, do I know you?" His heart did a little dip. He swallowed, the smile becoming a little strained.
"We were... we were kids together. Summer of '98? We built a treehouse?" He gestured towards the door. The memory of the treehouse hung in the air, a silent, shared joke. She shook her head gently. "I'm afraid not. I've lived in the city my whole life." He felt his shoulders slump, but his voice remained easy. "No worries, I probably got the wrong person." He smiled. "Enjoy your day." He walked away, leaving her to her coffee and her companion. He found a table, and ordered a coffee, the pleasant warmth he'd been feeling slowly waning.