Velma hadn't meant to look at him ,at least, not that long but how does she pretend not to see someone who once knew the rhythm of her breath. Velma told herself she wouldn't freeze when she saw him. She walked back to her seat. "Why was he here?",she thought to herself. "Of course,he would be here,it was New York". It was bound to happen eventually. But still,she hadn't prepared for it. And God-he looked good. " You okay?", Velma's cousin whispered leaning in.velma nodded swallowing. "It's fine, I'm fine,he is just a boy who use to wait for me outside my dorm just to walk me to class,a boy whose voice I once used as a lullaby when the night got too loud in my head",she thought to herself. Back then,she had no words for the heaviness inside her.
The way her ex isolated her,chipped at her confidence,made her believe no one would understand. So she let go of the people who made her feel seen , including Daniel. He reached out to her once,she ignored it and that was it.
Across the room,she caught him looking again. Not staring....,just watching. Like he was trying to figure out if she was real. She looked away first this time. But deep down, something stirred- soft, dangerous and familiar. A question that whispered loudly that her thoughts:"What if he never stopped waiting?".