Enjoy this free short romance about a woman who runs into her seventh-grade boyfriend (from 20 years ago!) during the holiday season.
She was walking into a coffee shop. A man held the door open for her, and as she brushed past him, he said, “Monica? Monica Stevens?”
“Yes?” Monica stopped and turned just inside the door. The man had a brawny build, thick blond hair, and a trim beard. She didn’t recognize him.
He pointed at himself. “It’s Tony. Tony Burrows.” He let the door to the cafe shut.
“Tony?” Her jaw dropped. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you! It’s been a while.”
“Over 20 years.” Tony grinned and stepped toward her. “You look exactly the same. I mean, all grown up of course, and…” He cleared his throat and swallowed. “You look great.”
“Thanks.” Up close, Tony’s features became more recognizable. There were those warm, sparkling brown eyes she remembered, with that tuft of hair sticking up in back he hadn’t outgrown. Little Tony Burrows was what her mom used to call him. But the nickname no longer fit, Monica thought as she noticed his broad shoulders in the flannel jacket he wore. “I can’t believe you’re back in town!” she said. “I never imagined I’d see you again.”
Surrounded by the shop’s warm air, coffee aroma, and holiday tunes, she looked him over. At 12, Tony had been her first crush, her first boyfriend—even her first kiss as they said goodbye when summer came and Tony’s family moved away. Monica remembered their year of holding hands and exchanging notes with sweet fondness. Tony had always been so easy to talk to—maybe even more than any guy she’d met since. At the delight of seeing him again, a bevy of butterflies took flight in her stomach.
“I’m here visiting my aunt for Thanksgiving,” Tony said. “What about you? Do you still live in town?”
She shook her head. “No, I live about an hour south of here. I moved there when I got married.” She hastily added, “I’m divorced now. But it’s not the holidays without being at my grandma’s house.”
They shared a smile. “Does she still make the best pumpkin pie?” he asked.
“You bet.” Monica felt a warm rush of memories—of Tony spending Thanksgiving that year with her family, the two of them secretly holding their hands under the table when her parents weren’t watching. How he’d smiled at her as they’d taken a walk after dinner, tiny snowflakes falling around them and catching in their hair. How funny to run into him again after all these years! “What about you?” she asked. “Where did you end up?”
“A half-hour west. Moved back a year ago. So we don’t live that far apart.” He cleared his throat again and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I’ve never married. Mostly I’ve been focusing on my furniture business.”
She felt a strange thrill at hearing he was single. “I remember how talented you were in wood shop class. I’m not surprised you found a job working with your hands.”
“I know.” He shrugged. “I tried out a few different jobs, but nothing else lasted. I’m most at home in the shop with my tools. Sometimes you figure out all the important stuff as a kid, you know? What you really love, what you want out of life, who really matters to you. You just have to remember.”
He colored then, as if realizing his words could have another meaning. But Monica nodded. “I know just what you mean. Adulthood makes everything seem more complicated, even when it’s not.”
He laughed with relief. “Exactly.”
“I still have that birdhouse you made me,” Monica admitted, blushing a little herself. “I’ve hung it at every place I’ve lived.”
His eyebrows raised. “Really?”
“It’s filled with happy memories.” Feeling embarrassed, like she’d revealed too much, Monica gestured to the counter. “Well, I’d better order a drink. If I don’t get caffeinated this afternoon, I’m going to fall asleep from eating too many turkey leftovers.” She smiled apologetically.
“Of course, I don’t want to hold you up,” Tony said. “It was just great to see you again. Really, really great.” He moved towards the exit. But then he turned around. “Hey, I know you’re visiting family, but what are you doing tonight?”
She laughed. “Probably avoiding shopping.”
He joined her in laughter. “Me too. Do you have any interest in avoiding shopping together? We could have dinner—or maybe take a walk, if it’s not too cold.”
Monica wondered if he was remembering that holiday walk they’d taken all those years ago, too. “I loved to,” she said. “Dinner or a walk. Or both.”
He smiled, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners reminding her that he wasn’t a kid anymore. They were both adults now, and they had a lot of catching up to do.
“Let’s do both,” he said.
Enjoy this short romance? Check out my other stories here!
so very sweet