Emma scrolled through her phone, deleting photos of yet another failed relationship. Six years of dating apps, blind dates, and "promising" connections had left her with nothing but a collection of stories that made her friends cringe. At thirty-four, she was beginning to wonder if her standards were too high, or if true love was just a myth invented by romance novelists.
The invitation to her fifteen-year high school reunion sat unopened on her kitchen counter. She almost tossed it, but something made her pause. Maybe it was time to revisit the past before attempting another future.
The school gymnasium hadn't changed – same squeaky floors, same faded banners. As Emma nursed her punch, watching former cheerleaders compare wedding rings, a quiet voice behind her said, "Still hiding in the corner with the red punch, huh?"
She turned to find David Chen, who'd sat behind her in AP Literature. He still had those kind eyes and the slight smile that made dimples appear in his cheeks. Back then, he'd been the shy boy who helped her with calculus and always seemed to have an extra pencil when she needed one.
"You remember how I took my punch?" she asked, surprised.
"I remember a lot of things," he said softly. "Like how you always hummed 'Yellow Submarine' when you were stuck on a math problem, or how you wore your grandmother's pearl earrings every Tuesday."
Emma felt her cheeks warm. "I never knew you paid such attention."
"You were hard to ignore," he admitted. "Even when you were ignoring me."
Over drinks after the reunion, David told her about his life – his work as an architect, his travels, his failed engagement three years ago. "She said I seemed like I was waiting for something else," he confessed. "Maybe I was."
Emma learned that David had moved back to town six months ago. That he still loved science fiction novels and could quote entire episodes of Doctor Who. That he'd kept the note she'd written in his yearbook, where she'd called him "the nicest guy in school" but hadn't thought to add her phone number.
Weeks turned into months. Movie nights became dinner dates. Emma discovered that love wasn't about grand gestures or perfect social media moments. It was about someone who noticed how you took your coffee in the morning, who remembered your stories even when you'd forgotten them yourself.
One year after the reunion, as they sat on his porch watching the sunset, Emma asked, "Why did you wait so long?"
David took her hand, his thumb tracing circles on her palm. "Some people are worth waiting for," he said. "I just had to hope that one day you'd look up from your calculus homework and really see me."
Emma leaned her head on his shoulder, finally understanding that love had been there all along, patiently sitting behind her, holding an extra pencil, waiting to be noticed.