Ryan listened carefully as Carl narrated their shared history.
From the park.
To the goodbye under the sunset.
To the clinic visit.
To the alley fight.
To the figure that flashed past him in the hallway.
The more Carl spoke, the clearer the events became in his memory.
He remembered the boy that he caught fireflies with, the boy that hit him with a ball, and the boy he fought side by side with.
Unexpectedly, they were the same person.
Ryan leaned back slightly, studying Carl's face as if seeing it properly for the first time.
"Now that I think about it," he started slowly, "right now, you look a bit like the boy I met in the park."
Carl blinked.
"Emaciated."
Carl clutched his chest dramatically. "Ouch. I didn't think those would be your first words after hearing my story."
Ryan rubbed his chest, soothing the mock pain away.
"So you've had a crush on me since high school."
"Hmm."
Ryan narrowed his eyes. "Because of the fireflies?"
