𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐘 → original

four

Lou had made them promise not to bring any sort of embarrassing sign. 

Unfortunately, Ophelia had not listened. As Lou stepped out of baggage claim, the image of a model off duty in her black slacks, button down shirt, and heeled boots, her eyes fell upon an array of colorful balloons and a sign reading "Lucinda" in large swirly letters. Her cheeks heated up, but she found herself smiling at the reference to her always providing wrong names for reservations.

Ophelia squealed upon seeing Lou and passed the sign she was holding to Marc, who nearly dropped it with an 'oof.' Ophelia rushed forward, balloons still in hand, and enveloped Lou in a hug. Sure, maybe they had grown apart and maybe Ophelia couldn't shake the feeling that something was off between them since they went their separate ways, but she was going to put on a happy face and hope that some of her good energy extended to the others.

Lou hugged Ophelia back after her shock wore off, then pulled back and looked over her shoulder. It was just Ophelia and Marc, no Caspar, and she hated herself for wondering about his absence. It wasn't in her nature to ask, though, so she pushed thoughts of him from her mind and put on a smile.

"Good to see you, Lou." Marc smiled warmly as he sidled up beside Ophelia. He and Lou gave each other a brief side hug, more because they both expected it was what they should do rather then because they wanted to.

"Oh my god, this is your first time seeing both of us since Vallie's wedding." Ophelia's eyes widened, before going on to tease playfully. "Hasn't he gotten so fit? Look at his arms." 

A small bashful smile formed on Marc's face and he focused his attention on his feet. This struck Lou as odd, because he truly was in very good shape and the Marc that she knew in college surely would have flaunted it. He appeared more reserved and quiet, and something about that piqued Lou's curiosity.

"Oh, let me take your bag." Marc offered suddenly, reaching out to take the single suitcase Lou was wheeling with her. "Caspar's waiting in the car, so we probably should get going."

There was Lou's answer. The sound of his name rolling off of someone else's tongue sent a shiver down her spine that she did not have the time to contemplate. Perhaps she wasn't ready for this, perhaps she wasn't ready to see him and pretend for a week that everything was fine. Would she be able to look into his eyes and not think about their night together after Vallie's wedding?

The three of them walked side by side out of the airport and found Caspar waiting at the pick up area. Marc placed Lou's suitcase in the trunk amongst the rest of their luggage, while Ophelia and Lou slid into the backseat of the SUV. With Lou's suitcase taking up more room in the back, Ophelia found it hard to fit the balloons and sign she had insisted on bringing along.

"I told you we wouldn't have room for those." Caspar eyed her in the review mirror, before letting his eyes slide too Lou. Lou held the reflection of his gaze for a moment, and somehow she had forgotten how to breath. "Hey, Lou."

"Hey." Lou responded quietly, before looking away and breaking the spell. 

Caspar would be lying if he said he hadn't spent many nights thinking about that moment, about what it would be like to see Lou again. It wasn't like his life was on hold without her, of course, but he had often caught himself wondering what it would be like if things were different: if Lou hadn't moved away and if she weren't so scared of letting people in, and if he could ever believe that he was good enough for someone like her. He could try to be. He wanted to try. But some part of him knew she would never let him get close enough. 

In the two years it had been since they were altogether, a number of things had changed. Lou's hair had gotten longer, and she no longer bothered with regularly adding caramel highlights to her hair, though she never let herself think too long about why she had stopped doing little things that she once enjoyed. Ophelia had started wearing a new style of glasses that accentuated just how wide and doe-like her eyes were. Caspar had grown a beard and let his hair grow just a bit longer. Marc had begun working out, clearly, but kept his hair much shorter than he ever had in college.