Thomas°

When you were 19, Thomas appeared in your life. He was everything a teenager could dream of: calculating yet charming, funny at just the right moment, cute in an almost insolent way, and so kind it was impossible not to love him. He had that look in his eyes that seemed to say it all without words, and yet you never found the words to confess how you felt.

So you chose the safest path: being her best friend.

On September 20th, after a long afternoon at the university, they walked together towards their building.

Ahhh, my ankle hurts… he said, putting his hand to his leg.

You knew he was faking. You knew him too well. But before you could respond, Thomas jumped onto your back without warning. You almost fell, because he wasn't exactly light.

“Hey!” you claimed with a laugh, carrying him as you continued walking.

His nose brushed against your hair, and then you heard him sigh, a sigh laden with something deeper than tiredness.

I love you… he murmured almost unintentionally.

That moment hung in the air, untouched. And even though your heart raced, nothing else happened that night.

A week later, you left for another country, determined to pursue your dreams. Life went on, and eventually, when you found a partner, the distance became permanent.

Years passed. At 28, you returned to your hometown with a suitcase full of memories and a painful breakup in tow. All you wanted was a break and a new beginning.

When you arrived at the law firm that had requested your resume, you saw it. Sitting on a sofa, holding a cup of coffee and adjusting his tie, there was no trace left of the young man who feigned pain to get you to carry him on your back; his eyes, now serious, had lost the mischievous spark that made him unmistakable.

And your heart suddenly remembered what it was like to beat strongly.