Daddy Dearest

One Hello

Ben

The light from the sun was beginning to wane as I wandered through the Parisian streets, seeking a familiar refuge from the years gone by. The city held many memories for Waverly and me - some of them sweet, others bitter. We'd frequented a café during our university days, a quaint little place tucked in an alleyway just off the River Seine. It was there that we had shared some of our most beautiful moments together, as well as some of our most painful fights. As the shadows grew longer and the evening chill began to settle in, I felt a growing need to return to this place, a sort of pilgrimage to mark the end of one chapter of my life and the beginning of another.

The narrow alleyway seemed almost hesitant to reveal itself, but eventually, it came into view, much like a half-forgotten memory emerging from the depths of the mind. I took a deep breath as I stepped in, feeling the cool stones beneath my feet and the ghosts of the past whispering in my ears. I knew this was part of moving on – revisiting the places where love had once blossomed and died, so that I might find some closure and peace.

As I turned the corner, my eyes caught sight of a figure sitting at one of the outdoor tables, bathed in the soft glow of a streetlamp. A jolt of recognition ran through me, sending shivers down my spine. It couldn't be... And yet, as my gaze lingered, I knew without a doubt that it was her: Melody Plum.

"Get a grip, Ben," I muttered to myself, trying to quell the uneasy mixture of longing and remorse that swirled within me. But my eyes were drawn to her as if by some magnetic force, unable to look away as she sipped her coffee and scanned the pages of a book that lay open before her.

The sun cast dappled light through the leaves of a nearby tree, casting intricate patterns on her dark hair and the tablecloth. She seemed so peaceful, so content in her solitude, that I hesitated to disturb her. And yet, I knew that I could not simply walk away without speaking to her. The years had built up too many unspoken words between us, and this chance encounter felt like a gift I could not ignore.

"Damn it all," I whispered under my breath, and with a deep, steadying breath, I began to make my way towards her.

"Excuse me?" I called out tentatively, my voice cracking with nerves. "May I sit here?"

She looked up from her book, startled, and for a moment our gazes locked together. Recognition slowly dawned in her brown eyes, and she blinked in disbelief.

"Ben? Is it really you?" Her voice was a soft tremor, filled with incredulity and something else I couldn't quite place.

"Hello, Melody." I managed to smile, feeling the tension in my chest loosen ever so slightly. "May I join you?"

"Of course," she replied, her eyes still wide with surprise as she gestured to the empty chair across from her.

I sat down, and as I did so, the years seemed to fall away like melting snow. The easy camaraderie we had once shared was still there, waiting to be rekindled despite the long silence that had stretched between us.

"God, it's been... what? Ten years?" She shook her head in amazement, a wistful smile playing on her lips.

"Something like that," I agreed, my heart swelling with a mixture of joy and sorrow. "You haven't changed much, Melody."

"Neither have you, Ben." Her eyes twinkled with affection, but I caught a fleeting shadow behind them, hinting at the hardships she must have faced over the years.

We spoke of our lives since we had last seen each other: the places we had visited, the people we had met. I learned that she had worked for a time as a photographer, capturing the beauty and sadness of the world around her through the lens of her camera. And though my mind raced with questions about her relationship with Alex, that subject remained unspoken, an invisible barrier we both hesitated to breach.