Chapter 30: A New Beginning

Chapter 30: A New Beginning

Graduation came faster than either of them expected. The auditorium buzzed with excitement, families cheering, students tossing their caps into the air. Maya clutched her diploma tightly, her heart swelling with both pride and sadness. When she finally spotted Liam in the crowd, their eyes met, and for a moment, everything else faded away.

After the ceremony, they found each other outside.

"Hey," Liam said, his voice warm but different—more sure of himself.

"Hey," Maya replied, smiling.

They stood there for a moment, taking in the reality of where they were now. They had both changed. Liam had been accepted into a music program, ready to pursue his passion full-time. Maya had already lined up her next step in environmental activism. Their lives were moving forward, just not together.

"So, this is it?" Maya asked, half-joking.

Liam shook his head. "No. I don't think it is."

She looked up at him, searching his face. "Yeah?"

He nodded. "We needed this time. To grow, to find ourselves. But… maybe someday, our paths will cross again."

Maya smiled, a mix of sadness and hope. "I'd like that."

He reached out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Me too."

As they parted ways, neither of them knew what the future held. But they both knew that first love—real love—never truly fades. It just changes, grows, and sometimes, if you're lucky, finds its way back when the time is right.

And for now, that was enough.

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The End.