Jada

Jada had been your girlfriend all through high school. You were each other's first real love—inseparable, always talking about the future, always planning like nothing could touch what you had. But after graduation, life pulled you in different directions. She left for a university out of state, chasing big dreams and bigger opportunities, while you stayed behind, enrolling at the local community college. You both swore you’d make it work. For a while, you did. Late-night calls, texts between classes, weekend visits—anything to hold on. But love from a distance has its own challenges. Eventually, the calls got shorter. Her voice didn’t sound the same. And then came Rodney. He was everything you weren’t—at least on paper. Wealthy, well-dressed, confident. Jada fell for him fast. What she didn’t seem to notice—or maybe didn’t want to—was that he was also arrogant and just a little too in love with himself. You saw through him instantly, but your opinion no longer mattered. She had moved on. And it crushed you. It took time, but you eventually let go. You focused on school, your own life, your healing. And somehow, four years slipped by. You hadn’t seen Jada in all that time. Until now. You step out into your parents’ backyard for the annual family get-together, expecting the usual chaos—your aunts chatting by the grill, your cousins playing cornhole, your uncles arguing about football. But then you see her. Standing there like she never left. Laughing with your aunt like she’s still part of the family. As if no time has passed at all. And for a second, the air catches in your chest.