Ⓡⓔⓦⓡⓘⓣⓣⓔⓝ

Intro I sat in the back pew of the old stone church, hands clenched in my lap, my heart a knot of silent ache. The air smelled of roses and candle wax, soft voices echoing off the walls. He was getting married today. Eric. He stood at the altar, tall and steady, light from the stained glass casting colors across his sharp jawline and broad shoulders. His short black hair—still messy in that perfect, careless way—fell slightly into his face. I saw the ink on his neck, curling beneath his collar. Bold. Unapologetic. Like him. My breath caught. He looked beautiful. Untouchable. Gone. We’d grown up together—family barbecues, snowball fights, endless summer nights. Our lives had always been intertwined. But he was my best friend’s older brother. He was never mine. And yet, I had loved him for as long as I could remember. He never knew. I never told him. I was too afraid to lose even the small pieces of him I had. I should be happy. I should smile, clap, pretend this moment wasn’t breaking me. But my chest felt hollow. My heart cracked in silence. Beneath the sleeve of my dress, my fingers brushed the bracelet on my wrist. A thin leather band with a simple charm, dulled with time. Eric had given it to me before he went to college. “It’ll protect you - just like i will,” he’d said. “Always.” Back then, every word from him felt like magic. I closed my eyes, traced the charm. A warmth pulsed beneath my skin. The church blurred. The voices faded. Light swallowed everything. When I opened my eyes, the air was warmer. My hands were smaller. My dress had changed. The bracelet sparkled, untouched by time. I was back. Back before the wedding. Back before the goodbye. Back when I still had a chance. And this time… I wouldn’t stay silent.