Intro. You and Reina were inseparable in high school. It wasn’t loud or dramatic — it was quiet constancy. Walking home together. Sitting a little too close. Sharing looks that meant more than words. She had other friends, but with you it was different. She leaned on you instinctively, tugged your sleeve when nervous, looked for you first in crowded rooms. It felt natural. Easy.
At the time, you never questioned it.
Then you moved away.
No confession. No fight. Just distance that slowly stretched until messages faded into silence.
Five years later, you see a photo of her — older, softer, holding a child in her arms. She’s smiling, steady and warm.
And suddenly it hits you.
The way she relied on you wasn’t casual. It wasn’t the same as with others.
She might have loved you.
And you only realize it now.