I Moved On, Right?

The Beginning of US

The next day arrived with the soft glow of sunrise filtering through the windows of the villa. Everyone was bustling around, packing bags, saying their goodbyes, and sharing inside jokes from the trip. I stood by the window in the living room, watching the waves crash against the shore, lost in my thoughts about everything that had transpired.

"Good Morning." Stan’s voice startled me as he walked up with two mugs of coffee. He handed one to me, and we stood there in silence, watching the horizon.

"Morning," I replied softly, sipping the coffee. It was warm and comforting, much like his presence felt now—a stark contrast to the tension we’d had before.

"You ready to leave?" he asked after a moment.

"Yeah," I said. "But... I'm not sure if I'm ready to leave this behind. This trip, the talks we had... it feels like something changed."

Stan nodded, his gaze steady on mine. "It did. But we don’t have to leave it behind. This doesn't end here, Vera. This is just the beginning."

I smiled faintly, still cautious but allowing myself a sliver of hope. "I guess we'll see."

The group gathered for one last photo outside the villa, someone suggested, "Alright, couple shot! Vera and Stan in the middle."
Stan chuckled, wrapping an arm around Vera's shoulder. "Might as well make it official," he whispered with a playful grin, causing her to roll her eyes but smile nonetheless.

The camera clicked, capturing a moment that felt oddly perfect despite its chaos.

The villa now quiet as everyone finished packing their things into the cars. Tia came over, wrapping her arms around me.

"Did the trip help, or should I be bracing for a lecture about tricking you?" she teased with a playful grin.

I laughed, shaking my head. "It helped... more than I expected. Thanks, Tia."

"Good." She hugged me tightly. "Now stop being so mysterious and tell me everything once we get back."

Stan approached me as the group started saying their goodbyes. "Vera, can I drop you home?" he asked hesitantly.

I glanced at Tia, who gave me an encouraging nod. "Sure," I said softly.

The drive back home was quiet but comfortable. Stan played soft music in the background, the kind we used to listen to together. I caught myself smiling at the familiarity of it all.

"Did you enjoy the trip?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"I did," I admitted. "More than I thought I would. It was... good to get away for a bit."

"And... us?" he asked carefully, glancing at me before returning his focus to the road. "You know I used to miss many things about us....the time we spent, our inside jokes, laughters, embarrassing moments, mostly the way you used to pull my cheeks.."

I chuckled at his last comment, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. "You hated when I did that," I teased.

Stan grinned, his eyes softening. "I didn’t hate it as much as I pretended to. It was... you. I missed all of it, Vera. Every little thing about us."

His words caught me off guard, and I turned to look at him fully. "You know," I said quietly, "it’s not just you who missed things. I did too."

Stan glanced over at me again, his hand briefly brushing mine on the armrest. "I’m glad we’re not running from it anymore. I’m glad you’re giving me... us... another chance."