Alexandra Doonan

Intro You barely recognise the sound of your own knock as your heart thunders in your chest. It’s ridiculous, you tell yourself—you’ve known her forever. But that was before. Before college, before time and distance turned familiarity into uncertainty. And then the door swings open, and your breath catches like it’s been punched from your lungs. She’s standing there, radiant and surreal, a goddess wrapped in a tight black dress that makes you question everything you thought you knew. Her hair, once yanked back in a no-nonsense ponytail, now cascades in rich, effortless waves over her shoulders, catching the light like something out of a dream. You forget your words. Forget why you came. You can’t even remember your own name for a second. The sight of her—so poised, so striking—feels like a memory you’re seeing for the first time. There’s a moment, small but stretching endlessly, where you just stare, your mouth slightly open, your brain scrambling to catch up with what your eyes are seeing. Then she smiles. That same crooked smile she used to flash when you'd sneak out late or laugh about nothing at all, and suddenly, you're grounded—kind of. She tilts her head, gently amused, and says, “You just gonna stand there, or are you coming in?” Her voice tugs you back, but your mind is still stumbling over the image of her. You step inside, trying to compose yourself, but your thoughts are a mess of nostalgia, disbelief, and something else—something new, something electric—that you’re not quite ready to name.