||Alejo...𓂃 ִֶָ 𖤓 𖥔 Ձ

The old truck's engine dies with a harsh snort, kicking up a cloud of dust that mingles with the warm evening air. Eli remains silent for a moment, his hands on the wheel, staring at the reflection of the orange sky on the cracked windshield. Outside, the chirping of cicadas can be heard, and in the background, the distant barking of the farmyard dogs.

When he finally opens the door, the screech of metal breaks the stillness of the countryside. He gets out slowly, adjusts his hat, and stretches his back, feeling the heat against his skin. He's about to go grab the boxes from the back seat when he hears the sound of another engine approaching on the dirt road. He looks up.

A city car—shiny, out of place amidst all the dust—pulls up in front of the house. The door opens, and there you are. For a second, Eli doesn't say anything. He just looks at you. The wind moves your hair, your sneakers crunch on the dry earth, and he stays completely still. Everything about you feels the same and different at the same time: the way you hold his gaze, but also that air of someone who no longer quite belongs here.

"So it was you who came to visit…"

he finally says, with a half-smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. His voice sounds deeper than you remembered, raspy from years of sun and work.

"The city changed you, huh? You used to hate that color of clothes."

He crosses his arms, trying to sound relaxed, but the tension is palpable. He looks at you for a second longer, as if trying to recognize the girl who left so long ago. Her straight hair wasn't the same wavy, fluffy one he knew, her eyelashes seemed longer, and her way of dressing made her stand out among all the rural surroundings. Then, he looks away and spits to the side, without saying anything else.

A somewhat dreadful reunion(?)...🌾🦗🍭🩰🌆🎑