Chapter 16
Life has a way of creating distance. Months passed without news of each other, and I ensured it remained that way. I even asked my parents not to mention the Carters or their family.
College life at Stanford was precisely the distraction I needed. Between the photography club, volunteering at the campus radio station, and a full course load, I barely had time to think about the past. The California sun seemed to burn away old memories.
Looking back, it seems almost laughable how I'd centered my entire world around one person. Ironically, I found myself agreeing with something Aiden had once said—why tie yourself down so young when there's a whole world to explore?
I was grateful for choosing Stanford. The earthquakes took some getting used to, and the rent was exorbitant, but there was something magical about a place where flowers bloomed year-round. I'd already forgotten East Coast winters.
During winter break, my old lab partner, Emma, visited the Bay Area, and Maya and I took her to a fantastic brunch spot in San Francisco. Inevitably, Aiden's name surfaced.
“He and Madison barely lasted a month,” Emma said, stirring her mimosa. “Now he's working his way through every sorority at Columbia. Total player. You wouldn't recognize him—completely different from the intense valedictorian we knew in high school. It's like watching someone have a quarter-life crisis at nineteen.”
I remained silent, pushing my avocado toast around my plate. Maya shot Emma a warning look, quickly changing the subject to her latest startup idea.
On New Year's Eve, Maya and I went to a rooftop party overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. During the countdown, she nudged me to make a wish.
It wasn't until later that I realized something—for the first time, my wish had nothing to do with Aiden. For six years, every birthday candle, shooting star, and 11:11 had been about him. Now, I was finally writing my own story.
The real test came during winter break of my freshman year. Homesickness hit hard after finals, and I booked the first flight home.
But walking through arrivals, my heart stopped. There, standing between my parents, with that familiar half-smile, was Aiden.