The Fountain's Reflection

The town square was quieter than usual, a hush settling over the cobblestones as the evening stretched into dusk. Ivy wasn't sure why she had wandered there. Maybe it was the weight of the house pressing down on her, or Sophie's relentless chatter about everything and nothing. She just needed space, somewhere to think.

The fountain in the center, worn and weathered, had always been her spot growing up. It wasn't particularly beautiful or special, but it had history. Like everything in Montclair, it carried the echoes of people who came before. She trailed a finger along the stone edge, lost in thought, when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Didn't expect to find you here."

Ivy turned, and there he was. Michael. The past she thought she had left behind, standing just a few feet away, hands in his jacket pockets and that same steady gaze.

"Michael." His name felt strange on her tongue after all these years, but she managed a small smile.

He smiled back, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "You've been avoiding me."

"I have not," Ivy said, defensive.

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Totally believable."

She laughed despite herself, the tension between them easing. "Alright, fine. Maybe I have. It's just... strange, seeing you again."

"You're telling me," he said, stepping closer. "I didn't think I'd ever come back here."

"Why did you?" Ivy asked, genuinely curious.

Michael shrugged, looking away for a moment. "Family. Work. Montclair's quieter than the city."

"Quiet's one way to put it," Ivy said, leaning against the fountain. "So, what's the big city like? You always seemed destined for somewhere bigger."

"It's... loud. Busy. It was good for a while, but it got old fast. People there are always running, chasing something, even if they don't know what it is." He paused, his gaze shifting to her. "And you? How's life treating you, Ivy?"

She hesitated. How could she sum up years of leaving Montclair, her mother's illness, and the gnawing feeling that she was somehow still tethered to this town? "Life's... complicated."

Michael smirked. "Complicated sounds about right for you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ivy asked, feigning offense.

He chuckled. "Nothing bad. You've always had a knack for making things more interesting."

They fell into a familiar rhythm, the kind of ease that only comes from knowing someone through the awkward, formative years of life. It was comforting, even as it brought back memories Ivy wasn't sure she was ready to revisit.

As they talked, catching up on the surface-level details of their lives, Ivy couldn't help but notice how much had changed. Michael was sharper now, his edges less smoothed by youth. He spoke with a calm confidence that hadn't been there before, but his eyes... his eyes were the same.

"Do you ever feel like this town hasn't changed at all?" Ivy asked suddenly, interrupting his story about a case he'd worked on in the city.

Michael tilted his head, considering. "Not exactly. The buildings are the same. The people seem the same. But it's different, too. Like there's something under the surface that wasn't there before."

Ivy nodded, her thoughts drifting. "Or maybe it was always there, and we're just old enough to see it now."

Michael didn't reply right away. When he did, his voice was quieter. "Maybe."

The conversation turned lighter after that, drifting into shared memories and half-teasing remarks. But even as they laughed, Ivy couldn't shake the feeling that something unspoken lingered between them.

As they parted ways later, the square bathed in the soft glow of streetlights, Ivy glanced back to where Michael stood, his figure half-hidden in shadow. He caught her looking and raised a hand in a casual wave.

She waved back, a small smile on her lips, but the knot in her chest remained. Something about Michael's return stirred the ghosts of Montclair in a way she hadn't expected. And though they hadn't said it aloud, Ivy knew she wasn't the only one who felt it.

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