_HaruWrites

Follows the journey of two childhood friends, Lily and Ethan, who made a promise under the old oak tree to always be there for each other. However, as they grow older, life takes them on different paths, and their promise fades into distant memory. Years later, a chance encounter brings them back together, forcing them to confront the forgotten promise and the feelings they once shared. Through heartfelt conversations and rediscovered emotions, Lily and Ethan navigate the complexities of friendship, love, and the enduring power of promises. Will they be able to rekindle the bond they once shared, or will the weight of time and distance prove too heavy to bear?

The Forgotten Promise  (Short Story)

A Promise Under the Oak

One afternoon, as the sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the meadow, Lily, with eyes sparkling with mischief, turned to Ethan. "Ethan," she said, her voice soft and sweet, "let's make a promise."

Ethan, his heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and nervousness, looked at her with his wide, brown eyes. "What kind of promise?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"A promise to marry each other when we grow up," Lily said, her voice filled with a childlike certainty. "We'll be the happiest couple in the world, living in a castle with a thousand rooms and a garden filled with flowers."

Ethan's breath hitched. He had always loved Lily, her laughter, her kindness, her infectious energy. The thought of marrying her, of spending his life with her, filled him with a joy he had never known before. But the idea of making a promise so grand, so serious, felt both exhilarating and terrifying.

"A castle with a thousand rooms?" Ethan asked, his voice barely a whisper. "That sounds... amazing."

Lily giggled, her face glowing with excitement. "Yes! And we'll have a secret passageway leading to a hidden garden where we can grow all our favorite flowers!" She paused, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "And we'll have a pet unicorn, of course!"

Ethan couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "A unicorn?" he asked, his voice filled with playful disbelief. "I think we might have to settle for a dog."

Lily's smile faltered for a moment, then she burst into laughter. "Oh, you're so silly, Ethan! But maybe a dog would be nice too. We could name him Sparky!"

"Sparky the dog," Ethan repeated, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "I like it."

He looked at Lily, her eyes shining with a mixture of innocence and hope. He knew that this promise, born from the innocence of childhood, was just a dream, a fantasy. But the thought of spending his life with Lily, even if it was just a dream, filled him with a warmth that spread through his entire being.

"I promise," he said, his voice filled with a sincerity that touched Lily's heart.

Lily's face lit up with a radiant smile. She leaned in, her lips brushing against his in a sweet, innocent kiss. "I promise too, Ethan," she whispered, her voice filled with a love that knew no bounds.

They sealed their promise with another kiss, their lips meeting under the watchful gaze of the old oak tree. They were children, their dreams fueled by innocence and a love that knew no bounds. The world seemed to hold endless possibilities, and their future, intertwined and filled with joy, was a promise whispered on the wind, a promise carried on the wings of a summer breeze.

Chapter 2