"I love how you still look at me the same way when we met first." (1)

Before the story...

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"Addy! Hurry up!" said her mom as she opened the door, though stopped when she saw her daughter snoozing away, like every usual morning.

Her mom's footsteps were light and quick, and she listened as she disappeared into the kitchen. She could hear her mom.

Her mom's voice echoes from the kitchen, like a ringing church bell. Each sound of her mother's arrival echoes across the land like a fairy tale.

The birds chirped happily outside; the sun rising and shining brightly. Everything was going to be fine.

Addy groaned and forced herself awake as she slowly opened her eyes. The pungent sense of pine needles was strong in the air - an early spring morning had dawned, when winter and warmth were in a fragile equilibrium. Or so she hoped. With each breath, a cold fog swirled from her lips into the room; the cottage was cool despite being late spring.

Putting on warm clothes was the first order of business after waking up here, Addy thought to herself with a shiver.

She stood up eventually and looked longingly at the books she had read over and over again in this very bed; old friends that kept her company every night on these long, desolate nights. But there was work to be done, so she lumbered out of bed, pulling on jeans and a t-shirt before heading downstairs for breakfast. The sounds of soft talking drifted through the house, between the creaks of old wood settling from last night's frost, creating a cacophonous symphony that blended seamlessly into what should have been an idyllic setting.

It was too loud outside, though; even inside it felt like she could still hear everything faintly outside, like trying to watch TV while other people talk over it or leave their radio playing in the next room. It wasn't right to be out there on such a beautiful spring day and not let yourself enjoy it, Addy told herself as she stepped outside onto the deck and took a deep breath of fresh air. Addy sat down and turned around halfway so her back rested against one of the thick beams supporting it.

The sun broke through the clouds casting a golden light across the sky, the puffy white clouds looked like snow, the sky was a beautiful cerulean blue. The birds, like tiny missiles, streaked across the sky before disappearing into the neighboring trees.

The cold pavement from the morning dew, the green grass of the lawn, the yellowing leaves on the trees.

The puddles were shiny and glist.

With the weak light creeping over the horizon, the world is painted in shades of gray. The view is only slightly clearer, but enough to see the subtle nuances of the world that are lost to the darkness of night.

The gray is cold and foreboding, full of danger and bad omens. It lays before her path like a predator waiting to pounce from hiding.

The birds' singing is a symphony of lovely sound. The air is cool and clean. The fog that covered the city glistens in the sky, but it does not lower the temperature.

Looking at all the chipper children walking past her on this bright new day, Addy finally understood that life is about these choices, and even though she knew she wasn't going to have any children herself, this was one choice she would make every single day for as long as she lived here on earth.

With that thought, she smiled and decided to take advantage of the beautiful day. She headed towards a nearby cafe for a cup of coffee and a bite of breakfast.

The cafe was bustling with life, people from all walks of life enjoying each other's company. It was just the kind of place Addy loved best. She grabbed a seat near the window and ordered her usual, a cappuccino and an egg sandwich on sourdough bread with bacon and cheddar cheese. As she waited for her order to arrive, she watched out the window as the sun continued its ascent in the sky. The streets were awash in bright sunlight and ink black shadows cast by passing pedestrians and vehicles alike. The streets were alive with people walking, biking, jogging, playing music - it felt like everyone was in celebration mode despite the chill that still lingered in the air.

When finally her food arrived, Addy dug into her breakfast with ravenous hunger. Her stomach had been growling since she woke, begging her to satisfy it before she went off to school. She savored every bite with eagerness, the warm sandwich and coffee was just the thing she needed to restore her energy for the day ahead.

Once she was done, Addy paid her bill and finally walked out of the cafe and back onto the street. With renewed vigor, she took in a deep breath of crisp morning air as she made her way towards school, taking in all the sights and sounds of this beautiful new day.

But even as she hurried her pace, the sun was sinking farther below the horizon and soon it would be too late to go to school. The anxiety rose in her stomach and wormed its way into her throat. When she finally reached the school gates, she swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes shut for a second before entering. Everyone else had already gone inside.

Taking a deep breath, Addy tried to compose herself before walking into the building. She thought of what stories her parents used to tell when they were kids about being late for school and how they had managed to talk their way out of punishment and with that bit of inspiration, Addy felt confident that she would be able to make up some kind of believable tale. She opened the doors and went inside with a smile on her face and a plan in her head.

She immediately went to her teacher's room and knocked on the door. When she entered, she could feel everyone's eyes on her, but she kept her head held high. She apologized for being late and then recounted her story of how she had seen a shooting star streaking across the sky when she was walking to school and how excited it made her feel to see something so beautiful and rare in the early morning sky.

After that, the whole class stared at her in awe, including her teacher who had agreed not to punish Addy for being late this one time. She thanked him for his understanding and took a seat feeling relieved that all of that was behind now.

Addy's gaze fell upon the empty seat beside her, and she couldn't help but feel a wave of anticipation coming over her. Just then, a boy with golden hair and blue eyes strolled into the room, clutching a small suitcase in his grasp. He surveyed the class tentatively, and Addy realized this was Andrew - the new student assigned to join their ranks.

The teacher introduced him warmly, and Addy smiled kindly at the timid newcomer. But as he took his seat next to hers, something stirred inside of her; a deep longing for something she couldn't name. She hoped he would find acceptance here, but at the same time, deep down she wished that their paths could have crossed differently.

"Hello," she whispered to Andrew, making sure to not get caught by the teacher who had casually continued his lesson. Andrew looked up at her with curiosity. "Welcome, want to be friends?" she continued softly.

Andrew smiled shyly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He nodded in agreement and whispered back. "OK, but don't tell the teacher." Addy nodded in agreement and they both shared a laugh.

Their teacher suddenly turned around, making them jump in their seats as he peered at them curiously. Andrew spoke first before Addy could say anything. "We were just talking about our lunch plans," he said with a smooth voice, unafraid of the teacher's gaze. "We thought it would be nice to have lunch together so we can get to know each other better." The teacher simply raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly before turning back to his lesson plan again, leaving the two of them alone for now. Addy felt relieved since she was sure he didn't suspect anything more than what was actually going on - although it was still best to be cautious from now on! She smiled warmly at Andrew, she knew that they would be best friends.