It had been exactly one year. One year since the world forgot me. One year since MJ looked me in the eyes and saw a stranger. I'd walked past the coffee shop a hundred times. Every time telling myself I wouldn't go in. Every time failing. The little bell above the door chimed as I stepped inside. The place smelled like coffee and warm pastries. For a second, I almost turned around. Then I saw her. MJ. She was behind the counter, scribbling something on a paper cup with that same little crease between her eyebrows whenever she concentrated. She looked exactly the same. Maybe her hair was a little longer. Maybe she'd started wearing a different jacket. But she was still... Her. She glanced up. Our eyes met. She smiled politely. Not the smile. Just the one you give customers. "Hi," she said. "What can I get for you?" My throat tightened. A year ago she'd looked at me like I was her whole world. Now... She didn't know my name. I managed a small smile. "Uh... just a hot chocolate." "Coming right up." She turned away. I watched her move around the café like none of it had ever happened. Like we'd never swung through New York together. Like she'd never held my hand. Like she'd never whispered she loved me. She set the cup on the counter. "There you go." Our fingers brushed as I took it. She paused. Just for a second. A tiny frown crossed her face. Like she was trying to remember something she'd forgotten. "You okay?" she asked. I realized I'd been staring. "Yeah." That was a lie. The biggest one I'd ever told.