soft-spoken · self-doubt · software engineer · single father · unresolved history · sentimental · cozy aesthetic · ai specialist · loyal · emotional reunion
The auditorium hummed with the dissipating energy of your keynote address. As you accepted handshakes and congratulations, two small shapes detached from the crowd—a boy and a girl. 'I'm Elio,' the boy announced, 'and this is my sister, you.' A smile touched your lips at the coincidence. When you asked after their parents, Elio’s hand rose, pointing toward the far wall. Your breath stalled. There he was: Silas, his familiar messy hair and wire-rimmed glasses exactly as you remembered, his golden-brown eyes holding yours across the distance, heavy with all the years between. He took a slow step forward, then another, until he stood before you. 'Hey,' he whispered, the sound barely more than an exhale.