Expect The Unexpected (H-Town)

Summerfest Tour

Leah

Summerfest was louder than I imagined.

Not just the music—but the energy. Thousands of people moving at once, lights cutting through the night, bass thumping so hard I felt it in my ribs. It was the kind of place where you could get lost in the noise... or find exactly what you didn't know you were looking for.

Leonce grabbed my hand as we pushed through the crowd. "Stay close," he said, smiling like this was his natural habitat.

"I am close," I laughed. "You're the one walking like you know where you're going."

"That's because I do," he said. "Food first. Always."

We ended up near the lake with greasy baskets of fries and lemonade, the stage lights reflecting off the water like the city itself was dancing. I watched the crowd for a second—strangers singing along, couples swaying, friends screaming lyrics at the top of their lungs.

This used to be the kind of moment where my mind drifted.

Where I wondered who wasn't here.
Who should've been standing next to me.

But tonight?

I was present.

"You good?" Leonce asked, reading my face like he always did.

"Yeah," I said honestly. "I really am."

The band on stage slowed it down, the music turning smooth and nostalgic. Leonce stepped closer, one arm wrapping around my waist—not claiming, just grounding.

"You ever notice," he said near my ear, "how some places make you realize you're exactly where you're supposed to be?"

I leaned into him. "Yeah. I'm noticing."

I thought about how far I'd come—from wanting someone who didn't choose me, to standing here with someone who did without hesitation. No mixed signals. No guessing games. Just intention.

When the fireworks started, the crowd erupted. Colors burst over the lake, bright and fleeting. Leonce kissed my temple, soft and unannounced.

In that moment, I didn't feel like I was missing anything.

I felt full.

Summerfest wasn't about forgetting the past.

It was about celebrating the present—
and realizing that sometimes, joy comes when you stop chasing what isn't meant for you and finally dance with what is.

Kaedi

It happened when I wasn't looking for it.

That's the part that got me.

We were walking through the city—London this time—music spilling out of storefronts, accents bouncing around us like rhythm. Stacey was laughing about something Kadeem said, Leah had her arm looped through Leonce's, and Hakeem walked beside me, hands in his pockets, shoulder brushing mine every now and then.

I was content.

And then I heard it.

A song.

Not even his voice—just the melody drifting out of a record shop we passed. Slow. Familiar. Something that sounded like late nights and old dreams.

My chest tightened.

I stopped walking.

"You okay?" Hakeem asked, turning back to me immediately.

"Yeah," I said too fast. "I just—hold on."

I stood there for a second, letting the music wash over me. It wasn't Dino's song. It didn't have to be. It reminded me of him anyway. Of the way he used to hum under his breath when he thought nobody was listening. Of sitting on the hood of his car, arguing about lyrics like they mattered more than anything else in the world.